Reverberation time in classrooms – Case Study: When an administrative decision changes acoustic quality

Abstract

This paper describes a case study about the acoustical quality of classrooms in a public National University relating to the parameter reverberation time (RT). It is shown that, after wrong administrative decisions, classrooms which previously displayed good acoustical quality with respect to RT values, showed a change in this parameter due to a change in the covering of the ceiling. Final RT values after the change in the material covering the ceiling of these classrooms caused them not to fit into the values required by either National or International Standards, or the World Health Organization.