REDUCING ECHO AND IMPROVING ACOUSTICS
CONTOUR® CEILING TILES REDUCE ECHO, IMPROVING ACOUSTICS OF MEETINGS AND BROADCASTS
People “in chambers” for City Council and County
Board meetings in Omaha, Neb., wanted to hear the
details of legislative proceedings. When bad
acoustics marred participants’ ability to hear, the
Omaha-Douglas Public Building Commission took action
and adhered
CONTOUR® Ceiling Tiles from pinta acoustic
directly to the existing ceiling. Now, all parties
are pleased with the sounds of the city’s business.
“The City Council legislative chambers space was built in the early 1970s and has always had acoustical problems,” says Ron Bublotz, building services manager, Omaha-Douglas Public Building Commission. “About five years ago, we upgraded the audio and TV broadcast systems, hoping to improve acoustics. But it almost made the situation worse. The microphones were more sensitive, which compounded the acoustical problem.
“Acoustical testing revealed that most of the problem was related to the ceiling, which didn’t absorb sound but rather caused sound to bounce back or reverberate—resulting in impaired communication.”
| After considering various options to deaden excess noise, Bublotz selected pinta acoustic’s CONTOUR Ceiling Tiles. The tiles are available for ceiling grid and adhesive installations. In the Omaha legislative chambers, the 24-inch by 24-inch standard-size tiles were installed with acouSTIC adhesive. The tiles are made from pinta’s willtec® (melamine) foam with an NRC (noise reduction coefficient) of 0.90—providing outstanding acoustical control. |
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“The acoustics are much improved, and the change is especially noticeable in areas where the ceiling is very low,” says Bublotz. “The ceiling in the legislative chambers slopes downward toward the dais in the front of the room, which made installing a ceiling grid for drop panels impossible. The cable TV viewing audience also has noticed the acoustical improvement. Another plus: The tiles are aesthetically pleasing and enhance the look of the ceiling.
“The other options we considered were too expensive, too labor intensive or too disruptive to our business to apply them,” says Bublotz. “pinta’s product fit the bill in terms of ease and speed of installation, appearance and, most importantly, acoustical control.”
For quicker and easier installation, pinta acoustic developed a tool that was used on-site to cut holes in the ceiling tiles for lights and fixtures.
The CONTOUR Ceiling Tiles installed at this site are the white Basix 2 smooth pattern with beveled edges. CONTOUR tiles are available in subtle to dramatic sculpted designs that can be mixed and matched to create a unique look. Custom patterns, including corporate logos, are available. Tiles are Hypalon®-coated in arctic white, black onyx, grey mist or almond, with color matching available. Tiles coated with Hypalon are durable and easy to clean with a damp cloth.
CONTOUR Tiles are Class 1 fire rated and are eligible for LEED credits in new construction, major renovation and schools.
To speak with a Memtech Acoustical consultant about CONTOUR Ceiling Tiles and willtec® foam, contact Memtech Acoustical
