Management of Acoustic Comfort in Learning Spaces Using Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Abstract

The acoustic environment is a crucial factor in learning spaces. Variables such as reverberation time and sound pressure level may interfere with the student’s learning process. In order to guarantee the achievement of acoustic comfort requirements in educational buildings, the design and performance of acoustic conditions should be analyzed from the earliest stages of the project. The analysis of acoustic parameters has usually been performed with specialized software. However, the emergence of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) has represented a new approach to the projects in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sectors. In this context, the BIM methodology offers one solution to this problem. This study proposes the use of the BIM methodology to improve the acoustic environment of educational buildings. For this purpose, a BIM tool has been developed by the authors to perform a simulation of reverberation time, sound pressure level and critical distance based on the architecture characteristics stored in the BIM model. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.