The DENORMS Round Robin test: Measurement procedure and post-processing of time data

The DENORMS Round Robin Test (RRT) is intended to study and improve the techniques used for the determination of the sound absorption coefficient of materials, with particular focus on the low-frequency range and on measurements in reverberation rooms. It is well known that the main reason why it is difficult to extend the frequency range of interest below 100 Hz is the low modal density. The modal behavior of a room is dependent on its geometry and this is one of the reasons why a discrepancy of the results coming from different laboratories can be found even if the same material is tested. This paper describes the measurement procedure developed to allow uniform acquisition and post-processing of acoustic response data of laboratories participating in the RRT, with and without absorbing materials inside. The tests and the post-processing operations performed on the measured data are also discussed in the paper.