RASTI Measurements in St. Paul's Cathedral, London (Bo0116)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

RASTI Measurements in St. Paul's Cathedral, London (Bo0116) RASTI Measurements in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London by John Anderson, The City University, London, and Torben Jacobsen, Brüel & Kjær Introduction St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is one of the largest buildings in Great Britain. Its internal space, of volume 152000 m”, is dominated by a dome at the crossing of internal height 66m. The dome is seen in Fig.1, which shows the external elevation as viewed from the South. The Cathedral is also well known for its whispering gallery. The reverberation time in the Cathe- dral is large, as much as 12s at low frequencies, and not surprisingly the intelligibility of speech is generally poor without the use of a speech rein- Fig. Elevation of the Cathedral from the South forcement system. Traditionally the method used to assess speech intelligibility, and car- ried out previously in the Cathedral (Ref.[l]), is for different speakers to read out a series of phonetically bal- anced words in which each word is buried in a carrier sentence so that it cannot be recognised from the con- 60 text. Listeners in different locations write down what they hear the words to be. The method is described in de- tail by Beranek (Ref.[2]). Normally if a 40 word is misunderstood it is because the consonants are not heard properly. The number of words understood out =N+BP of the total is a fraction less than unity = peakcl. = AGCiRev which, when expressed as a percent- = 56% age, is almost the same as the phoneti- cally balanced (PB) word score. The 0, I I 0 60 ’ 80 100 PB word score correlates well with an Bad Fair J_Good,/_ Excellent 4 index of speech intelligibility, the I- -I- speech transmission index (STI) Sti (%) c%?am (Ref.[3]), as shown in Fig.2. Fig. 2. Relation between the objective STI and PB-word score for 167 different transmission channels. The disturbances were combinations of bandpass limiting, noise, peak The measurement of the PB word clipping, automatic gain control and reverberation. From reference 5 score may be described as a subjective method as it depends upon the clarity of the speakers and the personal as- quires 98 measurements and conse- form measurements of the rapid sessments of the listeners. These tests quently a rapid speech transmission speech transmission index and com- also require a great deal of time and index (RASTI) has been devised pare them with earlier subjectively ob- organisation. An objective method, us- which requires only 9 measurements. tained results for speech intelligibility ing a loudspeaker and electronic Apparatus for the measurement of in the Cathedral. Furthermore, it is equipment, has been developed by RASTI is now commercially available now possible to take quickly a large Houtgast and Steeneken and their col- from Briiel & Kjær. number of measurements at different leagues at the Institute for Perception positions so that iso-RASTI contours TN0 in the Netherlands (Ref. [3, 4, The availability of this new instru- may be constructed. These tests are 5 However, even this method ~ ment presented an opportunity to per- described in this Application Note. BO0116-11 3 The RASTI-Method As already mentioned, the RASTI- is placed at the speaker’s position and The final RASTI-value is based method is based on the Speech Trans- simulates the real speaker. upon these nine modulation indices. mission Index (STI). The RASTI- The RASTI-value ranges from 0 (= no method is very quick; it is possible to The receiver is placed at the listen- intelligibility) to 1 (= complete intelli- measure the intelligibility at one lis- er’s position. It measures how the test gibility). tening position in less than 10 sec- signal has been modified. The change onds. in the signal (reduction in the modula- The RASTI-method can be used in tion) at the listener’s position is quan- many different applications, among The RASTI-method is being stan- tified in terms of the modulation them being: dardized by the IEC (Ref.[7]). The transfer function for nine different method relies on the use of a special modulation frequencies. The reduc- evaluation of speech intelligibility transmitter and receiver. The trans- tion of the modulation is interpreted in rooms mitter sends out an acoustic test sig- in terms of an apparent signal-to- evaluation of reinforcement - and nal (“an artificial voice”) which con- noise ratio, irrespective of the cause of PA-systems tains information about the frequency the reduction, which can be reverbera- intelligibility in industrial facilities range covered by speech, and the fluc- tion, echoes or background noise. assessment of sound masking sys- tuations in the voice. The transmitter tems The B & K RASTI-Instruments Brüel & Kjær produces RASTI-in- The internal loudspeaker mounted human being, and fulfils the IEC draft struments (system 3361) which fulfil in the transmitter has a directivity in- standard with regard to directivity. the requirements of the IEC draft dex similar to that of the voice of a standard (Ref.[7]), and which give fur- ther useful information. A short de- scription is given below of each of the two instruments which make up the system. Speech Transmission Meter, Transmitter 4225 The Transmitter 4225 produces the special “RASTI-sound” and sends it out by means of a built-in loudspeak- er. In Fig.3 the front and the back of the instrument are shown. The power On/Off switch (battery powered) is located at the front. The output level is the reference level as given in the IEC-standard (a speech level of Leq,A = 60 dB at 1 m distance). A further + 10 dB compared to the standard level may also be selected. The latter output level can be used to evaluate the influence of background noise in the room. Three different output possibilities exist: the internal loudspeaker, output to an external loudspeaker or an elec- trical output. For each of these out- puts it is possible to calibrate the out- put level. The internal loudspeaker is located at the back along with connectors for External Power and Remote Control, and the battery box. Provision is also made for mounting the microphone Fig. 3. Front and rear panels of the Speech Transmission Meter, Transmitter 4225. Note during calibration. the loudspeaker on the left of the rear panel 4 Output all the values may be output through the serial interface ( RS 232). This can be done automatically after each measurement or by, pressing Dig- ital Output. There are different out- put formats, one is shown in Fig.5. It is also possible to control the instru- ment through the interface. In the measurement in St. Paul’s a portable Epson computer was used to print out the result. The RASTI in- strument checks for errors during the measurement and if these occur, error codes are generated. Measurement Procedure The Brüel & Kjær Type 4225 was Fig. 4. Front panel of the Speech Transmission Meter, Receiver 4419 used as the sound source and the Type 4419 was connected to a microphone placed at the receiver positions. At each receiver position at least one measurement of 32 seconds duration Speech Transmission Meter, Re- whether an intelligibility problem was performed. ceiver 44 19 comes from background noise or from The Speech Transmission Meter, reverberation. Also the RASTI-value Source positions: in order to obtain Receiver 4419 receives the test signal for both octave bands may be read a direct comparison with the earlier at the listener position by means of a out. The level in each octave band tests (Ref.[l]) the sound source (Type prepolarized microphone. In the 4419 may be displayed. 4225) was placed at either the pulpit the signal passes through an auto- or the lectern, both of which are indi- range stage and through an anti-alias- RASTI-values less than one can be cated in the plan shown in Fig.6. The ing filter. The rest of the treatment is caused by background noise or by re- sound source was placed on its tripod in digital form. Each of the modula- verberation in the room. It is not pos- at a position where the head of the tion frequencies is found by means of sible by means of the RASTI-method clergyman or preacher would normally a Discrete Fourier Transform. After to evaluate which of these parameters be. At both the pulpit and the lectern that, the different values are calculat- is more important. But the instrument the axis of the source was pointed ed. The instrument is shown in Fig.4. can calculate a S/N ratio if it is as- down the nave, as shown by the dotted sumed that the reverberation time is lines in Fig.6. The level of the source The 4419 has two inputs, a pream- zero; and, conversely, if it is assumed was + 10 dB compared with the IEC plifier input and a direct input. In the that the S/N ratio is 3 15 dB the re- RASTI standard level. measurement in St. Paul’s a 4129 Mi- verberation time can be calculated. crophone and 2642 Preamplifier were These two values are called S/N connected via a 30m extension cable Equivalent and EDT Equivalent. to the preamplifier input. Pressing “S/N Equiv. dB”, the RASTI-value is translated to the S/N Before a measurement is started a in the room, assuming that the rever- RASTI 0.56 calibration is performed using a B&K beration time is zero in the room. Usu- SPECIllL 21 4230 calibrator. After this calibration ally it is possible to evaluate if back- ERROR 6 the measurement time is chosen (8, 16 ground noise or reverberation time is ocT*YP HZ 500 * FREQ fro I 0.85 0.;: or 32 seconds) and the measurement is the most important parameter, and H FAEP w 2 0.72 0.15 0.41 0.58 started by pressing Single or Run.
Recommended publications
  • Whispering-Gallery Mode Resonators for Highly Unidirectional Laser Action
    Whispering-gallery mode resonators for SEE COMMENTARY highly unidirectional laser action Qi Jie Wanga,1,2, Changling Yana,1,3, Nanfang Yua, Julia Unterhinninghofenb, Jan Wiersigb, Christian Pflügla, Laurent Diehla, Tadataka Edamurac, Masamichi Yamanishic, Hirofumi Kanc, and Federico Capassoa,4 aSchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; bInstitut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Magdeburg, Postfach 4120, D-39016 Magdeburg, Germany; and cCentral Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hamamatsu 434-8601, Japan Contributed by Federico Capasso, October 21, 2010 (sent for review August 1, 2010) Optical microcavities can be designed to take advantage of total a Limaçon-shaped microcavity (24) was proposed to improve internal reflection, which results in resonators supporting whisper- directionality and was soon demonstrated experimentally in ing-gallery modes (WGMs) with a high-quality factor (Q factor). the midinfrared (25, 26) and near-infrared spectral regions One of the crucial problems of these devices for practical applica- (27, 28). The far-field divergence angle of the main lobe of these tions such as designing microcavity lasers, however, is that their devices, however, is about 30 or more degrees and side lobes emission is nondirectional due to their radial symmetry, in addition persist. Here, we demonstrate highly unidirectional laser action, to their inefficient power output coupling. Here we report the with FWHM beam divergence angle of ∼6 deg, from WGMs in design of elliptical resonators with a wavelength-size notch at elliptical-shaped quantum cascade laser (QCL) microcavities the boundary, which support in-plane highly unidirectional laser with a wavelength-size notch at the boundary.
    [Show full text]
  • Preas and Radio Conterence #918 Execut1te Ott1ce Ot the President September 28, L94j
    103 CONFIDENTIAL - Preas and Radio Conterence #918 • Execut1Te ott1ce ot the President September 28, l94J -- 4.05 P.M. , E.W.T. (there was much noise and talking as the newspapermen tiled in, apparently with an air ot expectancy) lm. DONALDSON: All in. THE PRESIDENT: Steve (Early) will have mimeographed tor you afterwards about. the Lend- Lease in the month ot August. Aid to the fighting Allies reached a new peak -- 872 million dollars ot Munitions, 728 in July. Industrial goods 152 mil­ lion; about the same in July. And Foodstutts 90; and 132 1n July. Making a total of transfers for the month of one billion, 114 million tor August, as against one billion and 18 million tor July. That includes aircraft and parts, ordnance and ammunition, wateroratt, combat and other vehicles, and so forth. There's no use to go into the figures any more. I've got scooped -- I got scooped. I had rather hoped that I would be able to announce the tall of l"oggla (in Italy) at four o' clock this afternoon, but they beat me to it, and that got ~ this morning. The reason I hoped that I could announce it was be­ cause it is one ot the most important successes from the str ategic point ot Tiew that the Allies have had yet. It in other words, it brings a -- the air forces, land and see. support, measurably nearer to the heart or Germany. From j ' J IJ \ 104 #918 -- 2 7ogg1a, the air ~orces can give a close cover ~or all the ope~ations in Italy and the neigbboring territory, including the Balkan -- the Adriatic coast, and especially northern Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • Voices Carry: Whisper Galleries and X Rated Myths of Utah
    Waller: Voices Carry: Whisper Galleries and X-Rated Echo Myths of Utah Steven J. Waller VOICES CARRY: WHISPER GALLERIES AND X-RATED ECHO MYTHS OF UTAH Be careful what you say in the canyons of Utah! Sir John Herschel, who stated that “the Acoustic experiments at many rock art sites have faintest sound is faithfully conveyed from revealed that petroglyphs and pictographs are one side to the other of the dome, but is typically located at places with unusually strong not heard at any intermediate point” sound reflection (Waller 2005). Indeed, petro- (Sabine 1922:272). glyphs were recently discovered in Arch Canyon, Utah, via echolocation (Allan and Waller 2010). 2) Statuary Hall in the Capitol at Examples are given of rock art sites at which Washington, D.C. “The visitor to the voices carry for unexpectedly long distances, gallery was placed at the center of curva- giving rise to whisper galleries and other echo ture of the ceiling and told to whisper, when focusing effects. Such complex auditory the slightest sounds were returned to him phenomena were considered to have supernatural from the ceiling. The effect was much more causes, and echo spirits were believed to dwell striking than one would suppose from within the rocks. Great Basin mythology will be this simple description. The slight lapse of presented that includes tales of echo spirits in time required for the sound to travel to which sexual content is integral to the storyline. the ceiling and back, together with one’s keen sense of direction, gave the effect of In the process of conducting archaeoacoustic an invisible and mocking presence.
    [Show full text]
  • Fabrication, Characterization and Sensor Applications Of
    FABRICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND SENSOR APPLICATIONS OF OPTICAL WHISPERING GALLERY MODE COUPLING SYSTEM by QIULIN MA A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Written under the direction of Prof. Tobias Rossmann and Prof. Zhixiong Guo and approved by ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey [October, 2010] ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Fabrication, Characterization and Sensor Applications of Optical Whispering Gallery Mode Coupling System By QIULIN MA Dissertation Director: Tobias Rossmann and Zhixiong Guo Micro/nano optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators have attracted tremendous attention in the past two decades due to their distinct feature of high quality factor in small mode volumes. However, few studies have been done on temperature sensitivity and measurement of WGM, instability characterization of WGM resonance and gas phase molecules detection using WGM, all of which are explored in the present study. A complete analytical description of optical WGM resonance in micro spherical resonators as well as an analysis of optical coupling between fiber taper and micro spherical resonator is reviewed and discussed. Experimental systems and methods are developed for fabrications of high quality silica microsphere (50μm ~500μm in diameter, quality factor ~107-108) and submicron fiber taper, which are examined utilizing both optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Various WGM spectra are recorded for size matching between microsphere and fiber taper. Free spectrum range of the resonance is experimentally verified. Switching between TE mode and TM mode coupling is demonstrated.
    [Show full text]
  • The Whispering Gallery: Cinematic Meditations on Transnationalism 1977-2013
    The Whispering Gallery: Cinematic Meditations on Transnationalism 1977-2013 Léa Donnan A thesis submitted to the University of New South Wales in fulfilment of the requirement for Masters of Fine Art (Research) School of Art, College of Fine Arts The University of New South Wales Australia 2013 1 ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………….............. !! Date …………16 / 08 / 2013………………… 2 ABSTRACT: Using decaying systems wrought from the shifting tides of globalism, Léa Donnan creates cinematic elegies that question, remix and remake communal material histories as part of a wider cultural narrative. Both seductive and terrifying, Donnan retraces the movements of whales, ships and planes in relation to her personal history, a process which suggests how entangled in a multi-system global fabric we truly are. Through a series of actions and appropriations, Donnan interprets world wide systems of migration, communication and exchange as a gestural study; lace like markings on the surface of the planet.
    [Show full text]
  • Whispering-Gallery-Mode Lasing in Polymeric Microcavities Whispering-Gallery-Mode Lasing in Polymeric Microcavities
    Tobias Großmann Whispering-Gallery-Mode Lasing in Polymeric Microcavities Whispering-Gallery-Mode Lasing in Polymeric Microcavities Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines DOKTORS DER NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN von der Fakult¨at fur¨ Physik des Karlsruher Instituts fur¨ Technologie (KIT) genehmigte DISSERTATION von Dipl.-Phys. Tobias Großmann aus Chang-Hua/Taiwan Tag der mundlichen¨ Prufung¨ : 23.11.2012 Referent : Prof. Dr. Heinz Kalt Korreferent : Priv.-Doz. Dr.-Ing. Timo Mappes Prufungskommission:¨ Prof. Dr. W. Wulfhekel Prof. Dr. H. Kalt Priv.-Doz. Dr.-Ing. T. Mappes Prof. Dr. A. Mirlin Prof. Dr. W. de Boer Prof. Dr. J. Kuhn¨ Karlsruher Institut fur¨ Technologie (KIT) Institut fur¨ Angewandte Physik Wolfgang-Gaede-Straße 1 76131 Karlsruhe http://www.aph.kit.edu/kalt Tobias Großmann [email protected] This work was performed in close collaboration between the Institut fur¨ Angewandte Physik and the Institut fur¨ Mikrostrukturtechnik at the Karlsruher Institut fur¨ Tech- nologie (KIT). Financial support was provided by the Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics (KSOP), the Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists (KHYS), and the DFG Research Center for Functional Nanostruc- tures (CFN), by a grant from the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts of Baden-Wurttemberg¨ (Grant No. Az:7713.14-300) and by the German Federal Min- istry for Education and Research BMBF (Grant No. FKZ 13N8168A). Contents 1 Introduction1 2 Microgoblets as whispering galleries 5 2.1 Whispering-gallery modes in optical microcavities ........... 5 2.1.1 Classification of WGMs ..................... 8 2.1.2 Optical properties of microcavities ............... 8 2.2 Passive high-Q microgoblet resonators ................. 14 2.2.1 Lithographic fabrication of microgoblets ...........
    [Show full text]
  • Narrative Voices Falling Through the Air Paul Elliman*
    Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies 10(1) 2012, 66-71 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/jcms.1011211 Narrative Voices falling through the air Paul Elliman* Is that what I’ve done? Verne mentions the whispering gallery of St Paul’s Cathedral. He describes how a voice spoken into the curve of its wall can be heard from the other side of the gallery as clear as a bell. Unless you move away from its line of flight. Then nothing. I’m gone. For the setting of Journey to the Centre of the Earth, not the domed ceiling of an Anglican cathedral but the descending strata of the Earth’s core, Verne had in mind a more ancient example found in the caves of Sicily: The Ear of Dionysius. A mysterious s-shaped grotto with spiral- ling, 74 feet high curved walls that resemble the inside of a gigantic human ear. It was formed out of an old limestone quarry known as Latomia del Paradiso, near the city of Syr- acuse, probably as early as the 6th century BC. According to legend, the tyrant Dionysius established the cave as a panaudion prison, using its perfect acoustics to listen in on the whispered conversations of his prisoners (Sabine 1922). The Ear of Dionysius is said to have been named by the painter Caravaggio. On the run in Sicily near the end of his troubled life – in 1609, the year before he died – sleeping fully clothed, weapons by his side, he may have even hid- den there. No doubt hoping not to hear another voice or have his own overheard (Langdon 1999).
    [Show full text]
  • St Paul's Cathedral
    St Paul’s Cathedral This article is about St Paul’s cathedral in London, sionary saints Fagan, Deruvian, Elvanus, and Medwin. England. For other cathedrals of the same name, see St. None of that is considered credible by modern histori- Paul’s Cathedral (disambiguation). ans but, although the surviving text is problematic, ei- ther Bishop Restitutus or Adelphius at the 314 Council of Arles seems to have come from Londinium.[5] The lo- St Paul’s Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church cation of Londinium’s original cathedral is unknown. The present structure of St Peter upon Cornhill was designed of the Diocese of London. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. Its dedica- by Christopher Wren following the Great Fire in 1666 but tion to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church it stands upon the highest point in the area of old Lon- on this site, founded in AD 604.[1] The present church, dinium and medieval legends tie it to the city’s earliest dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the Christian community. In 1999, however, a large and or- nate 5th-century building on Tower Hill was excavated, English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its con- [8][9] struction, completed within Wren’s lifetime, was part of which might have been the city’s cathedral. a major rebuilding programme which took place in the The Elizabethan antiquarian William Camden argued city after the Great Fire of London.[2] that a temple to the goddess Diana had stood during Roman times on the site occupied by the medieval St The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recog- [10] nisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the Paul’s cathedral.
    [Show full text]
  • Mode-Matching Analysis of Whispering-Gallery-Mode Cavities by Xuan Du B.Eng., Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2010 a Thesis Submitt
    Mode-Matching Analysis of Whispering-Gallery-Mode Cavities by Xuan Du B.Eng., Xi'An JiaoTong University, 2010 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF APPLIED SCIENCE in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering © Xuan Du, 2013 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopying or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Mode-Matching Analysis of Whispering-Gallery-Mode Cavities by Xuan Du B.Eng., Xi'An JiaoTong University, 2010 Supervisory Committee Dr. Tao Lu, Supervisor (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) Dr. Poman So, Departmental Member (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) iii Supervisory Committee Dr. Tao Lu, Supervisor (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) Dr. Poman So, Departmental Member (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) ABSTRACT This thesis presents a full-vectorial mode matching method for whispering gallery microcavity analysis. With this technique, optical properties such as resonance wave- length, quality factor and electromagnetic field distribution of an arbitrarily shaped microcavity can be computed with high accuracy. To illustrate this, a mode match- ing analysis that involves a single propagating whispering gallery mode is performed on a microtoroid in the presence of individual nonplasmonic nanoparticle on its sur- face. This method is also extended to the analysis of cavity adsorbed by a plasmonic nanoparticle at a wavelength close to plasmon resonance where the resulting field distortion invalidates other approaches. The simulation demonstrates high efficien- cy and is in close agreement with experimental measurements reported in previous work.
    [Show full text]
  • London, Paris, Rome
    London, Paris, Rome 10 DAYS/9 NIGHTS – INDEPENDENT TRAVEL DEPARTS DAILY FROM L ONDON OR ROME Experience three of Europe’s most amazing cities in one fantastic package. Tour London's INCLUSIONS Buckingham Palace or Parliament and then enjoy afternoon tea with the locals. While in Paris, stop by a neighborhood boulangerie to buy a warm baguette before heading to Private Arrival Luxembourg Gardens for a delightful picnic. Continue to Rome where gorgeous squares, Transfers sidewalk cafes and ancient history make for remarkable memories. Tour the Colosseum, 3 nights in London where gladiators once fought for glory, or visit Vatican City to marvel at the breathtaking London Oyster artwork of Michelangelo and Botticelli inside the Sistine Chapel. While in The Eternal City, Card don't forget to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure your return to Rome! London Eye– Fast Track Ticket DAY 1 ~ ARRIVE daily amount is reached. Your £10 card can Magic of London LONDON be topped up with additional credit at Tube Tour Arrive in London and collect stations, Oyster Ticket Stops and London Windsor, Travel Information Centers. Your Oyster Stonehenge, your bags. As you exit Lacock and Bath card has been pre-activated so you can customs you will be met by a Tour representative that will help you with your start using it as soon as you arrive. 1st Class Rail luggage and escort you to your hotel where DAY 2 ~ LONDON you will stay for three nights. Feel free to 3 nights Paris After breakfast you will be use your Oyster Card to conveniently picked up at your hotel for 2-Day Paris Pass explore the United Kingdom’s capital city an exciting tour of London.
    [Show full text]
  • Stability of Masonry Dome: Special Emphasis on 'Golagumbaz'
    Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, New Delhi 2006 P.B. Lourenço, P. Roca, C. Modena, S. Agrawal (Eds.) Stability of Masonry Dome: Special Emphasis on ‘Golagumbaz’ Mahesh Varma, Ravindra Bansode, N.R. Varma, Prashant Varma and Purushottam Varma Nandadeep Building Centre, Aurangabad, India ABSTRACT: The paper discusses some of the criteria’s for the safety of masonry domes. The case study of ‘Golagumbaz’ is presented where in number of cracks in the meridional and hoop directions are found. The validation of cracks and mode of failure is described with the use of finite element axisymmetric analysis. The bi-axial and tri axial stress condition in masonry dome makes it difficult to conclude on the permissible limits; specifically the behavior of masonry dome in tension stress for centuries is difficult to answer. In Golagumbaz, the ring for hoop tension is not provided; this induces the hoop tension in the masonry. The structure is still stable after three centuries, and seems failed against serviceabil- ity. Author has made attempt to decide on permissible stress limit for masonry dome from the analysis of Golagumbaz. 1 INTRODUCTION Shell structures are abundantly found in nature and also in engineering designs. It seems that with shell structures, nature has maximized the ability to span over relatively large areas with a minimum amount of material – the shell of an egg is an impressive example. The penalty is that the shell structures are considered to be most difficult to analyses, design and construct. Spherical domes are abundantly built in the history; most of them are designed and built by using empirical formulas and the individual’s experience.
    [Show full text]
  • 6415 Assessing the Effect of Dome Shape and Location on the Acoustical Performance of a Mosque by Using Computer Simulation N. C
    International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering ISSN: 2229-8649 (Print); ISSN: 2180-1606 (Online) Volume 16, Issue 1 pp. 6415-6426 March 2019 © Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia Assessing the Effect of Dome Shape and Location on The Acoustical Performance of a Mosque by Using Computer Simulation N. Che Din1,2,* and A. S. Anuar2 1The Centre for Building, Construction & Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. *Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Architecturally, the dome is one evolutionary presence in most mosques of modern day. Besides mihrab, the dome is one of the architectural elements that has a phenomenon of concentration of energy by reflected sound waves from concave surfaces. The aim of this research is to compare the acoustical performance of different shapes of the dome and their respective locations by using geometrical approach computer simulation. Four types of dome that are commonly used on a mosque; Arabic, segmental, hemispherical, and onion, were modeled to compare their acoustical parameters i.e. reverberation time (RT) and speech transmission index (STI). It can be concluded that the shape of the dome does affect the RT. Furthermore, the shape of the dome also affects the STI - the larger the volume, the lower the STI value. However, the locations of a dome have little significance over acoustical parameter. The findings of this research may not limit to mosques only, but to any similar building that has similar typology. Keywords: Mosque; dome shape; reverberation time; speech transmission index; ODEON.
    [Show full text]