Survey of background noise levels inside classrooms on a college campus

Sound level measurements were made for 18 classrooms and learning spaces on the Marietta Campus of Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA. Excessive background noise in learning spaces diminishes the speech intelligibility from the speaker to the listeners. The noise measured was in empty or nearly empty classrooms with no one talking. The primary background noise source was observed to be due to heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment. The results are compared with a student survey to see if the noise complaints correlate with the noisiest classrooms in terms of their average A-weighted decibel levels. In addition, conformance with ANSI-ASA S12.60-2010/Part 1 (Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools) is evaluated.