Experimental studies of sound absorption by church pews

The influence of pews on the acoustical characteristics of churches may be significant because they occupy large areas in rooms lacking absorbing surfaces. However, the information about this particular category of seating is sparse and, sometimes, contradictory. Different types of pews, differing in materials and construction, were analysed in a reverberant chamber by means of Bradley’s method, measuring the absorption coefficients of blocks with different perimeter-to-area ratios. A substantial dependence on the latter parameter was found, allowing prediction of absorption coefficients as a function of actual block dimensions. The presence of upholstered kneelers showed improved absorption properties which were also replicated on other pew types by adding strips of polyester fibre. On-site measurements in three churches were used to validate the method by means of direct application of Sabine’s formula and by means of virtual acoustic modelling. The first only provided satisfactory results in rooms complying with Sabine’s assumptions, while the second also gave good results in the other church with markedly non-uniform absorption. Finally, the application to computer models of absorption coefficients measured in the chamber was discussed.