Sports Venues: Gymnasiums, Indoor Sports Grounds, Swimming Pools

Gymnasiums

Gymnasiums are primarily indoor sports venues for competitions and entertainment. With well-designed layouts and infrastructure, they can also be used for conferences, exhibitions, and performances, making them versatile and adaptable venues. Besides good floor plan, route planning, and structural design, gymnasiums, as large public spaces, also require excellent architectural acoustic design. The large size and number of people in gymnasiums necessitate the installation of extensive sound reinforcement equipment, and proper architectural acoustic design and application provide the necessary hardware conditions for its effective operation.

The focus of architectural acoustic design for gymnasiums is on the ceiling and walls. For the ceiling design, since gymnasiums often use exposed grid structures and are not enclosed, they lack the low-to-mid-frequency sound absorption of traditional enclosed ceilings. Therefore, it is necessary to consider installing suspended low-to-mid-frequency or full-frequency sound-absorbing materials with high absorption coefficients, such as sound absorbers. In terms of wall design, due to the large volume and volume of each seat in a gymnasium, the reverberation time within the venue is much longer than in other types of venues. Therefore, the walls should be designed with highly sound-absorbing materials or structures to efficiently absorb excess reverberation energy.

Other aspects of the gymnasium's design will also affect the acoustic environment to some extent. Therefore, a comprehensive design approach is necessary, and individual factors should not be ignored. For example, wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant wooden flooring is suitable for the playing pool and surrounding areas. This is beneficial for controlling low-frequency reverberation and better meets the needs of sports activities.

Indoor Sports Grounds

Indoor Sports Grounds (or Covered Playgrounds) are small to medium-sized sports venues used for indoor sports. Because they are often built within primary and secondary schools and primarily used for the sports activities of teachers and students, they are called "playgrounds." Due to limitations in size and layout, the function of indoor sports grounds is often relatively singular, mainly used for sports activities such as exercise and competitions for teachers and students, and occasionally for school meetings or small performances. Therefore, a certain level of acoustic design is also required.

The key points of acoustic design for indoor sports grounds are on the ceiling and walls. In terms of roof design, since indoor sports fields often employ exposed grid structures or bare floors, lacking the traditional enclosed ceiling's absorption of low- and mid-frequency sound energy, it's necessary to consider installing suspended sound-absorbing materials with high low- and mid-frequency absorption coefficients, such as sound absorbers. Regarding wall design, due to the large volume and relatively small number of people in indoor sports fields, the reverberation time is much longer than in other types of venues. Therefore, the walls should be designed with highly sound-absorbing materials or structures to efficiently absorb excess reverberation energy.

Other building surfaces within the venue also have a certain impact on the acoustic environment. Therefore, a comprehensive design approach is needed, and individual factors cannot be ignored. For example, if conditions permit, areas used for sports activities can utilize wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant wooden flooring, which is beneficial for controlling low-frequency reverberation and better meets the needs of sports activities.

Swimming Pools:

Swimming pools are primarily indoor sports venues for swimming competitions and recreation. Due to their large size, some venues may also have areas specifically designed for water polo, diving, and other sports. Due to the unique environment of swimming pools, the humid air inside can affect the building surface materials to varying degrees, including acoustic materials. Therefore, the design of swimming pools, especially the application of materials, must differ from that of typical aquatic sports venues.

The acoustic design of swimming pools primarily considers the roof. To maintain proper airflow, the roof is often exposed. The roof's structural framework forms the basis for the design of acoustic materials, with priority given to salt spray resistant materials. This is to prevent corrosion of materials and components caused by moisture and salt spray, which could lead to safety hazards. Furthermore, it prevents long-term degradation of acoustic materials due to moisture and salt spray, which could alter their acoustic performance and ultimately affect the overall acoustic environment of the venue.

The wall design of the swimming pool also needs to be carefully considered. In addition to using materials that are resistant to salt spray, the swimming pool, as a sports venue, also has the characteristics of large volume and small number of people as general sports buildings. The reverberation time inside the pool is large. Therefore, the walls should be designed to use strong sound-absorbing materials on a large scale, and the materials should have moisture-proof and corrosion-proof properties, such as aluminum sound-absorbing panels and other metal plates.