Models of sound attenuation in homogeneous materials

Since noise is a pervasive part of the environment we live in, building acoustics is very important discipline that helps protecting inhabitants against excessive noise (sound) from the environment. Development of acoustic building elements is a complex and cost demanding process involving material production, building up a testing construction, performing a testing procedure and evaluation of the test results in the last step. From this point of view, computational modelling represents an effective tool that might speed up while making it even cheaper. This paper aims at summarization of proper models and techniques for description of sound attenuation in homogeneous building materials. Besides classical acoustic models obeying the power law, also mechanical models treating sound as acoustic waves are presented. These models, derived from Navier-Cauchy equations, seem to be promising when sound attenuation in form of Rayleigh’s damping is included. Heterogeneous materials can be solved this way as well when homogenization techniques for estimation of effective properties of homogenous equivalents are applied. Some practical applications of the models are referred to prove their applicability.