Evaluation of the Acoustic Comfort in University Classrooms, Based on the Brazilian Technical Standard NBR 10152—Use of Noise Mapping and Acoustic Barriers to Counter Noise on a University Campus

Abstract

An evaluation was made of the acoustic quality of classrooms on two campuses of the Federal University of Paraná. Despite the heavy vehicle traffic flow on the streets in and around the campuses, the noise maps of the Polytechnic Center campus indicated that the noise that reaches the facades of the buildings vary from 55 to 60 dB(A), putting this campus within the limit of 60 dB(A) established by municipal law for Special Educational Zones (SEZ). In contrast, noise pollution at the Jardim Botanico campus has reached serious proportions, with noise maps indicating that its buildings are directly affected by noise levels of 65 to 70 dB(A). A simulation of the construction of two acoustic barriers showed their effectiveness in reducing noise levels to 55 and 60 dB(A). However, the downside is that acoustic barriers are expensive to build and cause visual pollution.