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for a closed-plan space? Should the more demanding speech security issue be addressed in the standard? These are among the many questions that remain unanswered. Until more research is completed we will need to rely heavily on the extensive experience in the architectural acoustics profession with speech privacy in offices and secure locations.
Figure 1 shows the cover of the 2006 edition of the 60- year-old, code-level AIA Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. The 2006 edition is the first to discuss speech privacy and the privacy law, HIPAA. The committees' first work product (completed in 2005-6) was a supplement to this volume called the Interim Sound and Vibration Design Guidelines for Hospital and Healthcare Facilities. In 2007 this Interim Guideline on acoustics was accepted for LEED credits by the LEED for Healthcare initia- tive and the Green Guide for Healthcare V2.2. In 2010 the complete contents of the Interim Guideline will be included in the 2010 edition of the AIA Guidelines, at which point acoustics will become part of building code for healthcare facilities in forty-two states.
References
1 A short, useful definition of speech privacy from ANSI T1.523- 2001/Glossary is “Speech privacy...techniques to render speech unintelligible to casual listeners.”
2 W. J. Cavanaugh, W. R. Farrell, P. W. Hirtle, and B. G. Watters, “Speech privacy in buildings,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 34, 475–492 (1962).
3 P. W. Hirtle, B. G. Watters, and W. J. Cavanaugh, “Acoustics of open plan spaces,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 46, 91 (1969).Presented at the 77th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, April 1969. (available at www.speechprivacy.org.)
4 R. Pirn, “Acoustical variables in open planning,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 49, 1339–1345 (1971).
5 R. W. Young, “Re-vision of the speech-privacy calculation,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 38, 524–530, (1965).
6 B. N. Gover and J. S. Bradley, “Measures for assessing architec- tural speech security (privacy) of closed offices and meeting rooms,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 116, 3480–3490, (2004).
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
"Procedure for Measuring the Ambient Noise Level in a Room"
(October 13, 2008, Melville, NY) Accredited Standards Committee S12, Noise, has approved the formation of a new working group to develop a new American National Standard dealing with Procedure for Measuring the Ambient Noise Level in a Room. Many other standards require such measurements but do not specify a standard procedure for obtain- ing them. Measuring noise levels is a complex issue and measurement results may vary significantly with microphone location and other factors.
The first meeting of the working group will be held during the week of May 18, 2009, in Portland, OR, in conjunc- tion with the 157th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. (Specific meeting details will be announced when avail- able.) Stakeholders from all related fields are encouraged to participate in the working group. There is no fee for work- ing group membership. For working group details contact Jerry G. Lilly, Working Group Chair, at (425) 649-9344 or by e-mail at jerry@jglacoustics.com.
Accredited Standards Committee S12 is administered as a public service by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) on behalf of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Participation by all directly and materially affected par- ties is encouraged. Membership in ASA is not required. Organizational membership in S12 is also available to organiza- tions and companies wishing to participate. Contact Susan Blaeser for details at (631) 390-0215 or by e-mail at sblaeser@aip.org.
The Acoustical Society of America is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1929. It is the premier international sci- entific society in acoustics, dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and promoting its practical applications.
32 Acoustics Today, October 2008