Course syllabus for Building physics and building acoustics, civil engineers

Course syllabus adopted 2024-02-13 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameByggnadsfysik och byggnadsakustik, civilingenjör
  • CodeBOM365
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKSAM
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 58117
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsNo

Credit distribution

0117 Examination 3.5 c
Grading: TH		 3.5 c
  • 13 Jan 2025 am J
  • 14 Apr 2025 am J
  • 21 Aug 2025 pm J
0217 Project, part A 2 c
Grading: UG		 2 c
0317 Project, part B 2 c
Grading: UG		 2 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

BOM230 Sound and vibrations
BOM265 Building technology

Aim

Heavyweight and lightweight buildings store heat and reduce sound in different ways, which are described by thermal inertia and acoustic transmission of buildings. If a building is to be heavyweight or lightweight is partly determined by the climate and noise levels in the locality of the building. Today's low-energy buildings should meet high standards in these respects.

The course aims at providing understanding and knowledge about thermal and acoustic performance of residential buildings that meet the current requirements for good indoor environment and low energy consumption. It will develop the skills to evaluate various building designs, including the impact of the external environment, in terms of climate and noise. The course will also provide a common theoretical base and exercises in the design of lightweight and heavyweight apartment buildings.

The acquired knowledge and skills will provide a basis for further specializations in building technology and building acoustics.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Common for Building physics and building acoustics
  • Describe current requirements for apartment building with low energy consumption in terms of their acoustical and other indoor environmental qualities.
  • Explain assumptions behind the energy balance equation for a building in respect to statistical room acoustics (mechanical energy) and indoor temperature (thermal energy).
  • Perform calculations with complex numbers for plane sound waves and acoustic impedance as well as for a free-running indoor temperature and thermal inertia of a building
  • Evaluate different solutions for low energy apartment buildings and criticize / motivate them in terms of both acoustics and other indoor environmental qualities.

Building physics 
  • Describe typical design solutions for load bearing and non-load bearing parts of lightweight and heavyweight buildings, in respect to the outdoor climate and the building¿s use
  • Define and calculate the building's time constant to provide a basis for design of heating and cooling systems, and explain how the time constant change at e.g. renovation
  • Set design conditions and perform calculations, by using thermal networks, of heating power demands in a building with respect to transmission and ventilation losses, internal heat gains and the thermal inertia of the building
  • Describe the procedure, and evaluate and use the results of a blower door test to calculate the heat loss by infiltration from a building
Building acoustics
  • Describe resonance phenomena using geometrical room acoustics theory as well as explain the concepts of direct field, reverberation field and reverberation time
  • Describe the working principles of different types of acoustic absorbers
  • Describe and apply theory of sound transmission through single and double walls
  • Show the working principles of suspended ceilings and floor constructions with respect to sound transmission
  • Describe sound transmission through joints as well as other flanking transmission in buildings
  • Describe the components in a building that affects the sound environment and how they interact (e.g. walls, ceilings, floors, windows, air inlets, holes, installations, ventilation systems and household machinery)
  • Describe typical sound and vibration qualities of light and heavy buildings/constructions
  • Carry out dimensioning calculations and simplified assessments within building acoustics and room acoustics for an apartment building

Content

Typical design solutions for load bearing and non-load bearing parts of lightweight and heavyweight buildings, current demands for low energy houses, thermal time constant, response to periodic change of outdoor temperature, instantaneous heating power demands, stationary heat balance of ventilated spaces - power footprint, thermal networks, air tightness of the building envelope, blower door test, power law, infiltration losses.

Description of the components of a building which affect the sound environment and of tools for calculating, dimensioning, and valuing different solutions for low energy apartment buildings. This includes: calculation sound insulation of single and double walls; description of resonance phenomena using geometrical room acoustics; statistical room acoustics; absorbers, including calculations, using complex numbers, for plane waves and acoustic impedance; and description of other elements' influence (floor constructions, ceilings, joints, and other transmission paths).

Organisation

Lectures, calculation exercises, project work. 

Literature

All literature is available through the course home page in Canvas, including
  • Lecture notes, calculation exercises and computer tutorials
  • Sasic Kalagasidis, A. Kompendium i byggnadsfysik
  • Forssén, J. ”Introduction to Building Acoustics” (Kompendium)

Examination including compulsory elements

To pass the course, the following is required
  • Approved project, parts A and B
  • Approved written exam

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.