Table 27.

1 Coefficients of Absorption
Complete tables of coefficients of the various materials that normally constitute the interior finish of rooms may be found in the various
books on architectural acoustics the following short list will be useful in making simple calculations.
General Building Materials and Furnishings 125 Hz 250 Hz 500Hz 1000 Hz 2000 Hz 4000 Hz NRC
Brick, unglazed 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.07 0.01
Brick, unglazed, painted 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.00
Carpet, heavy, on concrete 0.02 0.06 0.14 0.37 0.60 0.65 0.29
Same, on 40-oz hairfelt or foam rubber 0.08 0.24 0.57 0.69 0.71 0.73 0.55
Same, with impermeable latex backing on 40 oz
0.08 0.27 0.39 0.34 0.48 0.63 0.37
hairfelt or foam rubber
Concrete block, coarse 0.36 0.44 0.31 0.29 0.39 0.25 0.35
Concrete block, painted 0.10 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.09 0.08 0.05
Fabrics
Light velour, 10 oz / sq yd, hung straight, in
0.03 0.04 0.11 0.17 0.24 0.35 0.15
contact with wall
Medium velour 14 oz/sq yd, draped to half area 0.07 0.31 0.49 0.75 0.70 0.60 0.55

Heavy velour 18 oz/sq yd, draped to half area 0.14 0.35 0.55 0.72 0.70 0.65 0.60
Floors
Concrete or terrazo 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.00
Linoleum, asphalt, rubber, or cork tile on
0.02 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.05
concrete
Wood 0.15 0.11 0.10 0.07 0.06 0.07 0.10
Wood parquet in asphalt on concrete 0.04 0.04 0.07 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.05
Glass
Large panes of heavy plate glass 0.18 0.06 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.05
Ordinary window glass 0.35 0.25 0.18 0.12 0.07 0.04 0.15
Gypsum Board 1/2" nailed to 2x4's 16 in 0.c 0.10 0.08 0.05 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.05
Marble or Glazed Tile 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.00
Openings
Stage, depending on furnishings 0.25 - 0.75
Deep balcony, upholstered seats 0.50-1.00
Grills, ventilating 0.15-0.50
Plaster, gypsum or lime, smooth finish on tile or
0.013 0.015 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.05
brick
Plaster, gypsum or lime, rough finish on lath 0.14 0.1 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.05
Same, with smooth finish 0.14 0.1 0.06 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.05
Plywood Paneling, 1" thick 0.28 0.22 0.17 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.15
Water Surface, as in a swimming pool 0.008 0.008 0.013 0.015 0.02 0.025 0
Air, sabins per 1000 cu. Ft @ 50% RH -- -- -- 0.09 2.3 7.2 --
Rough wood as tounge and groove cedar 0.24 0.19 0.14 0.08 0.13 0.1 0.14
Fiberglass
Fiberglass Painted Ceiling Boards, textures 1/2"
0.68 0.88 0.7 0.91 0.97 0.93 0.85
thk
Fiberglass Painted Ceiling Boards, textures 3/4"
0.66 0.85 0.72 0.94 0.99 0.98 0.90
thk
Fiberglass Painted Ceiling Boards, textures 1"
0.69 0.91 0.79 0.99 0.99 0.99 0.90
thk
Audience
Audience, seated in upholstered seats, per sq ft
0.6 0.74 0.88 0.96 0.93 0.85 --
of floor area
Unoccupied cloth-covered upholstered seats,
0.49 0.66 0.8 0.88 0.82 0.7 --
per sqft of floor area
Unoccupied leather-covered upholstered
0.44 0.54 0.8 0.62 0.58 0.5 --
seats, per sqft of floor area
Wooden pews, occupied, per sq ft of floor area 0.57 0.61 0.75 0.86 0.91 0.66 --

Chairs, metal or wood seats, each, unoccupied 0.15 0.19 0.22 0.39 0.38 0.3 --

Students in tablet-arm chairs 0.3 0.42 0.5 0.85 0.85 0.84 --