We have all been to do some kind of sports activity at our local sports centre. The first thing we notice is that these tend to be noisy places and to get yourself heard you normally have to shout. Of course the other person shouts back in response. If you multiply this situation when there are a dozen or more people in the same hall , then you can imaging the high noise levels. To make things even worse, the sound is amplified by the building surfaces themselves.

Source of Acoustic problem.

Sports halls are large spaces in terms of volume as they are used for a variety of different sports activities such as basketball, indoor five a side football, badminton,etc. All these activities give a real physical pounding to the internal building faces which are the walls, ceiling and floors. To withstand such harsh use, these internal surfaces of sporthall have to be extremely strong and stand up to impacts from such varied sports activities. Therefore hard solid material are used. Floors are generally timber sprung , the walls are frequently painted blockwork with plywood boarding at lower levels to protect the walls whilst the ceiling , although very high , are metal cladding, plywood or concrete.

This finishes are excellent at resisting damage but they have a serious unintended side effect in that that are also excellent reflectors of noise ! Hard solid surfaces absorb very little of the sound energy in the sporthall. In fact, by reflecting the sound back into the hall , these hard surfaces are acting as amplifiers of noise.

Soundsorba have been dealing with such problems for many years by working with designers such as architects but also with the building owners such as local authorities or leisure companies or schools and colleges.

Some sports halls are built for a specific sport, such as badminton or tennis. However the majority are built for multi-purpose use so that they can be used for Indoor football, basketball, badminton, aerobics, and other indoor activities.

A number of key issues arise in terms of Health and Safety in such halls. As the halls are large in volume and the internal surfaces are hard and hence sound reflective, there is a build up of reverberant noise in the halls. These high noise levels are harmful because :-

• The players are exposed to high noise levels which can reach in excess of 90 decibels. This is uncomfortable over any long period of time.
• The high noise levels in the hall can lead to warning shouts not being heard due to the background noise.
• The teachers or instructors are exposed to high noise levels over the period

Whilst these are excellent for the functional requirements of easy cleaning and long term durability and low maintenance, these hard surfaces lead to a noise problem. When the hall is being used by people , the sound hits the hard surfaces and 95% to 99% bounces off back into the room. When there are a number of people in a hall , this reflected noise is amplified and makes the hall act as an echo chamber. This means that words are difficult to decipher as they are lost in the clatter of sound which is reverberating off the hard internal surfaces of the hall.

Ceilings :-

(a) Echosorba II stick on acoustic ceiling panels : Providing that the ceiling is very high and there is no possibility of any balls or objects hitting the ceiling then the solution will be to fit Echosorba II stick on acoustic panels on most of the ceiling area. If there are existing lights then these can stay where they are as the acoustic panels can be cut to fit around the light fittings. The same applies to fire detectors and other services. Again this is a cost saving as the lights do not have to be removed and then refitted. And we all know how long it takes to get an electrician !

The Echosorba II acoustic panels are lightweight and are simply glued to the ceiling using a contact adhesive ( This is called Gluesorba spray can contact adhesive). The application method is easy as the adhesive , which comes in a can, is applied to the ceiling surface and also the back of the acoustic panel surface. This is left for about 4 to 5 minutes ( depending on the temperature and humidity conditions of the hall ). Once the adhesive is touch dry , the press the panel onto the ceiling surface and apply pressure evenly over the panels and especially the perimeter edges. The adhesive is instant grab therefore make sure to position the panels in the exact position. The Echosorba II acoustic panel is pre decorated in visually pleased white speckle finish and the perimeter has bevelled edges to give a special design effect. The extra advantage is that this product can be painted to a required colour by using a water based matt emulsion paint without any significant shortfall in acoustic performance.

(b) WoodsorbaPro timber acoustic panels : Where there is the likely- hood of ball games being played in the hall, then WoodsorbaPro timber acoustic panels will be a better solutions as it has better impact resistant properties then the Echosorba II stick on acoustic ceiling panels. These panels are made of wood ( 18mm thick M.D.F) and are supplied in board lengths of 2400mm long. The most popular width of the panels for ceilings is 293mm wide. This makes it easier to move the board over the shoulders and lighter to fix when installing over ones head. These panels are tongue on one long side and grooved on the other long side. The installation method is to screw or nail these panels through the sides and push them together to form a visually seamless joint where the fixings are not visible. There are five different face patterns , two are slatted and three are circular hole versions. The panels are available in a range of real wood veneers as well as painted finish. A paper laminate surface is also available as the cheapest range but it is only chosen on rare occasions as the paper surface is not very durable.

These panels are simply fitted to pre-fixed timber panels.

Walls :-

(c ) Wallsorba acoustic wall panels : These are fabric faced sound absorbing panels and are used on the vertical wall surfaces to absorb the noise in the hall. These have good impact resistance from indoor footballs etc and are available in a range of 20 new colours.

These are large panels in standard sizes of 2700 x 1200 x 25mm thick and hence are cost effective and installed very quickly as they cover large wall areas in the minimal amount of time. Three different versions are available and they differ only in their perimeter edge detail. The Wallsorba Type A Tee joint and the Wallsorba Type B Butt joint are the most popular and cost effective versions. These two versions are also the most flexible as they can be cut to size on site with a Stanley knife to suit the height and width of the walls.

(d) Echosorba II stick on acoustic ceiling panels: These can also be used on walls at high level where they are out of reach and not likely to be hit by any objects. These are fitted horizontally or vertically to suit the free wall area which can be covered. Details as on the ceiling above.

( e) WoodsorbaPro timber acoustic panels : These can be fitted at low level as they are very durable and are the most resistant acoustic panelling product in the whole range as it is made from 18mm thick timber. Details as on the ceiling above.

How much sound absorption is required ?

Each sports hall is different. However, Soundsorba can help with each project. We can do an acoustic report free of charge which will quantify the acoustic reverberation time in the sports hall as it exists. We can then scientifically work out how much absorption is required to bring the reverberation time down to the require level. Please contact Soundsorba Ltd for this service.

Soundsorba can help calculate the exact amount of absorption if you can email the exact internal dimensions of the hall along with the description of the surface finishes of the walls, floor and ceilings. Digital camera photographs emailed will also be extremely useful. This is a free technical service which we provide to help of customers avoid costly mistakes so that they introduce the right amount of absorption into the hall.

Where do I buy the acoustic panels from ?

The acoustic panels can be purchased from Soundsorba's distributors which cover most of the u.k . In areas where there are no distributors Soundsorba can supply direct to your premises. Please contact Soundsorba Ltd on telephone 01494- 536888 to further details.

Which Sports halls have used Soundsorba acoustic panels ?

Just a few a listed below :

Gladesmore Sports Hall

Soho Gym

Beacon Hill Sports Association

Weaver School, Sports Hall

The Michael Tippett School

Where can I get further information ?

Product brochures and literature : These are on our website which is www.soundsorba.com . Click on the PRODUCT icon at the top of the page and choose the product which you are interested. Click on the PDF download and you can see the full technical product brochure immediately. You can print this off on your printer and give copies to your contractor or other interested colleagues. Hard copies available by emailing or by telephone request for the required product brochures.

Samples can also be provided.

Where can I get prices ?

Prices can be provide by telephone or email by contacting Soundsorba Ltd on 01494 536888 or email which is info@soundsorba.com .