ABSTRACT
As it is often the case with branches of engineering dealing with the understanding and the prediction of complex physical phenomena, modeling has rapidly become an integral part of the acoustical design process. When dealing with indoor sound propagation the use of a suitable model may allow the designer to assess the consequences that a change in parameters such as room shape, material selection, or source placement will have on variables like sound pressure, reverberation time, or reflection ratios at specific points inside the room. Acoustical models can also be developed for outdoor sound studies as one may inquire what shape and height a highway barrier needs to be in order to attenuate a specific level of unwanted noise from highway traffic over a given area. In these instances, the model is expected to provide the designer with the answer to the fundamental “what if?” question that is at the genesis of an engineered design-i.e., one that leaves little to chance in terms of the sensible selection of its parameters in order to achieve a specific result. The answers to the question allow the designer to assess the performance or the cost-effectiveness of a design, based on a specific set of criteria prior to committing to it.
