Edoardo Alessio Piana

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at University of Brescia

The growing demand for electric energy requires smarter and quicker distribution systems. In urban contexts, a smarter distribution of electric power to various classes of consumers, according to their demands, is possible through compact sorters. Since this type of device must be protected from unwanted access by people, wildlife and inclement wea...

The paper presents an experimental campaign carried out through a series of sound walks. Such measurements were performed to characterise the soundscape of the area where a future portion of a metro or tram line is going to be built. The sound walks aimed to acquire the data useful to carry out a comparison between the ante opera situation and the...

This work addresses the influence of experimental artefacts and the limitations of fitting models used to determine porous material parameters by an experiment exploiting ultrasound transmission, with an emphasis on tortuosity. The sensitivity of the transmitted ultrasonic signal to geometrical factors, such as transducer and sample alignment, as w...

Global warming and carbon emissions force us to rethink the use of our resources in a circular way. Recycling of materials such as paper and bio-based products offers an economically viable and straightforward way to reuse waste products. In this paper, a lightweight partition based on cellulose and agro-industrial byproducts is evaluated in terms...

Global warming has emerged as a prominent concern in recent decades, prompting a reassessment of our resource utilization practices. There is a growing inclination to transition from a linear approach to a more circular and sustainable management of our waste, particularly focusing on reusing materials. Among these, organic waste from plants stands...

This research explores the acoustic properties of sustainable mycelium-bound coffee ground composites. Sound absorption measurements were conducted using an impedance tube within the 125-4000 Hz frequency range, while static airflow resistivity was measured according to ISO 9053. The tortuosity of the samples was estimated using the quarter wavelen...

The circular economy model is based on the 4R framework—reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover. While recycling was the primary focus in the past, the shortage of raw materials and the desire to reduce carbon footprints have led to a change in focus: end-of-life materials are now considered resources rather than waste. When discharged, end-of-life mat...

Growing environmental concerns and climate change have motivated researchers to find alternatives to traditional synthetic or polymer-based materials. An alternative group of materials that have gained recent interest are mycelium-based foams and composites, due to their sustainable nature and application potential. Mycelium consists in the vegetat...

This paper aims to investigate the possibility of converting end-of-life household materials (EoLHM), such as clothes or packaging, into low-cost thermal and acoustic insulation materials for the improvement of thermal and acoustic comfort in buildings, especially for vulnerable households at risk of fuel poverty. For this purpose, a literature rev...

The uncertainty related to measurements is fundamental for qualifying the method applied to the estimation of the quantities derived from an experimental test. In this paper an uncertainty analysis is given for the estimation of the intrinsic properties of fibrous and porous materials, i.e. the characteristic impedance and the characteristic wavenu...

This research is aimed at testing the ability of high-end 3D printers to reproduce complex structures having some acoustic performances in terms of sound absorption and sound transmission loss. Specifically, some experiments were made on four different types of geometries to compare their acoustic behaviour. The sound absorption and sound insulatio...

Thermal comfort in indoor environments is perceived as an important factor for the well-being and productivity of the occupants. To practically create a comfortable environment, a combination of models, systems, and procedures must be applied. This systematic review collects recent studies proposing complete thermal-comfort-based control strategies...

Thanks to the progress made in materials research and to the introduction of innovative manufacturing technologies, a wide range of sound-absorbing elements are currently available to adjust the acoustic features of an environment [...]

The control of noise propagating along ventilation system ducts has always been an important issue in the building and vehicle sectors. This problem is generally tackled by selecting noise-reducing components with a suitable transmission loss, possibly verifying their effectiveness at a later time. The aim of this article is to characterize the nat...

One of the common ways to increase the energy performance of existing buildings is to add a thermal insulation layer to their façade elements, which in turn is covered by a thin protecting cement plaster. Such an arrangement is commonly known as External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS). This article studies the effect of an ETICS implem...

From a circular economy perspective, the acoustic characterization of steelwork by-products is a topic worth investigating, especially because little or no literature can be found on this subject. The possibility to reuse and add value to a large amount of this kind of waste material can lead to significant economic and environmental benefits. Once...

In a world increasingly aware of the environmental cost of the current production/ consumption model, the use of sustainable practices to reduce our environmental impact as a society becomes imperative. One way to reduce this impact is to increase the reuse of materials that are considered, by current definitions of ”waste”, at their end of life. E...

This work presents an efficient procedure to predict the sound reduction index (SRI) of a flat panel of arbitrary internal complexity starting from numerical finite element (FE) simulations. This hybrid analytical-FE procedure allows to perform narrow band calculations considering fluid coupling up to high frequencies. The exciting sound field is s...

This paper investigates the possibility to realize solutions for buildings thermal and acoustic refurbishment by using end-of-life household materials, such as cardboard, clothes, and egg-boxes. These solutions can be installed to improve the indoor quality in neighborhoods populated by people below the poverty threshold. The considered end-of-life...

To reduce energy consumption for space heating, a coordinated action on energy supply, building fabric and occupant behavior is required to realize sustainable improvements. A reduction in district heating supply temperature is an interesting option to allow the incorporation of renewable energy sources and reduce distribution losses, but its impac...

The appropriate acoustic insulation project of building façades is of importance for the design of highly comfortable living environments. In some countries, national regulations require maximum noise levels inside rooms, or minimum sound insulation limits, to be respected. The acoustic insulation design of a façade is usually performed according t...

A museum is a place where people can explore and learn the past, the present and the future of culture and science. Amongst the other technical systems, the lighting equipment must satisfy a number of requirements. For each project, lighting designers must face challenges in order to encompass the given specifications in a single lighting concept:...

Metamaterials can be defined as materials which, for their peculiar composition or structure, exhibit characteristics that are not normally found in nature. “Multifunctional” metamaterials could be used to optimise different characteristics at the same time. In this paper the authors try to apply them for thermal and acoustic optimization of extern...

Multilayer partitions are often designed so that, because of their peculiar composition or structure, they exhibit characteristics that are not normally found in single layer panels. “Multifunctional” partitions are engineered to optimize different features at the same time. In this paper the authors try to deal with the problem of optimizing therm...

Gypsum board walls are widely used in today’s buildings. A possible way to considerably increase the sound insulation performances of such lightweight walls is to apply double-layer gypsum panels screwed together. Being the boards separated by a thin air gap, there is no shift of the critical frequency from the single-layer case. Moreover, it is po...

The purpose of this work is to help the little patients of the Paediatric Onco-Haematology Department of the “Monica and Luca Folonari” bone-marrow Transplant Centre to tackle their anxiety and worries when subjected to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) clinical examinations, in order to reduce the period of time between the arrival of a patient in...

Clay hollow brick walls are still popular in building industry, but the prediction of their sound insulation properties is not straightforward due to their inhomogeneous and anisotropic characteristics. In this article, a classic approach has been used to determine the sound transmission coefficient of brick walls, assuming an orthotropic behaviour...

Featured Application Reduction of the noise impact of electrical substations through a hybrid control strategy based on passive noise barriers and auditory masking. Abstract With the world facing the urgency of energy transition, the development of efficient and quiet electrical infrastructures is of topical importance in the construction of the e...

Thermal solar systems are interesting solutions to reduce CO2 emissions and gradually promote the use of renewable sources. However, sizing such systems and analysing their behavior are still challenging issues, especially for the trade-off between useful solar energy maximization and stagnation risk minimization. The new EPB (Energy Performance of...

Quick urbanization increment causes a few difficult problems, such as social assessment, more energy demands, and pollution increase. A positive factor for a city is the concentration of energy requests. On the other hand, urbanization trend is going to fragmentation of settlements, with a consequent expansion of the energy distribution networks bu...

This paper investigates the relationship between Indoor Environmental Quality index (IEQ): thermal comfort index and indoor temperature trend in moderate thermal environments, in buildings that belong to the Class A with reference to the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD). The work consists of the measurement of IAQ and energy efficien...

In recent years low frequency measurements in building and room acoustics fields gained attention. Moreover the low frequency sound absorption coefficient (below 100 Hz) has always been difficult to determine and the results coming from different laboratories cannot always be compared. This paper describes the principles at the basis of the round r...

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 intere...

The DENORMS Round Robin Test aims to study and improve the techniques used to determine the sound absorption coefficient of materials. Within this framework, samples taken from the same batch have been tested in both reverberation room and impedance tube. The latter technique presents some challenges in that the results may strongly depend on the s...

At low frequencies the acoustic field in a reverberation room is not diffuse, and it should therefore be modeled by means of a deterministic approach. In this work, a finite element model was developed to include the modal behavior of the room. Dissipation in the empty reverberation room is taken into account by means of a volumetric approach, usin...

Gypsum board walls are widely used in buildings today. A possible way to considerably increase the sound insulation performances of such lightweight walls is to apply a double or triple layer of screwed boards separated from each other. The separation between the boards prevents the decrease of the critical frequency towards lower values , while re...

This paper investigates the sound insulation properties of clay hollow brick walls with low void fraction, horizon-tal/vertical mortar joint and plaster finishing. Methods based on homogeneous walls (Sharp theory and ISO 12354 procedure) are evaluated. A reference curve obtained as the mean of normalised sound reduction index curves measured in lab...

Featured Application Evaluation and design of foam-core sandwich structures with enhanced acoustic and dynamic properties. Abstract Composite panels are being increasingly used in many applications because they can combine several interesting properties, such as high load-bearing capacity, low weight, and excellent thermal insulation. Different co...

The vibro-acoustic properties of three-layered sandwich elements depend on the bending stiffness of the structure. It is found that the apparent bending stiffness of a sandwich beam depends on frequency, its length and boundary conditions. A beam with free ends appears stiffer than the same beam clamped at both ends. The apparent bending stiffness...

Vehicle noise is one of the main sources of complaints because it is widespread and active in almost all environments, from urban areas to rural context. The present work aims to describe a practical procedure to design silencers for off-road motorcycles so that, once produced, they are lightweight, do not affect the engine performances and cut noi...

Overhead high-voltage lines are a common choice for power transmission, but their planning, installation and management are often challenging tasks because of the surrounding public interest and of their importance as critical infrastructures. This is particularly true in the case of industrial installations requiring a high continuity of service....

With energy efficiency regulations coming into force, the retrofitting of existing plants has become mandatory in many European countries. The application of thermostatic radiator valves is a cheap, effective solution in case of radiator-based hydronic plants, but it requires the distribution system to be re-engineered and, in some situations, furt...

Featured Application Acoustic design and characterization of sandwich panels. Abstract Sandwich structures are manufactured using multiple combinations of materials for core and laminates. The real performances are influenced by variability in the composing layers and even by the uncertainties introduced while bonding them together. Therefore, exp...

The Lombardy Region and the Construction Technologies Institute of the National Research Council of Italy are promoting the development of an innovative coating nano-material for building retrofitting. The research aims at obtaining a material with higher sound absorption features when compared to conventional plasters, as well as fair thermal and...

The research and experimentation described in this study, aim to select an innovative material to be used in the refurbishment of buildings located in densely populated urban areas and / or in areas characterized by noise from transport infrastructures, in order to achieve both a substantial reduction of noise exposure and an improvement in energy...

La sperimentazione ha avuto come scopo l’individuazione di un materiale innovativo per rivestimento di pareti, con elevate caratteristiche acustiche e termiche, da utilizzare in aree urbane densamente abitate e caratterizzate da forte inquinamento acustico. Sono stati selezionati tre materiali, i quali sono stati sottoposti a prove di isolamento e...

Precast panels are widely used for the construction of large industrial buildings, trade centres and apartment houses. These buildings have to comply with prescribed noise and thermal requirements, so the possibility to accurately estimate the sound reduction index of such panels is of vital importance. The sound reduction index can be determined t...

The paper presents the results of a critical analysis of the most important prediction methods of radio-interference and acoustic noise produced by power transmission lines available in the technical literature. A code has been implemented in the MATLAB environment to improve the quality of the predictions, and the results of a preliminary validati...

Lightweight structures find more and more applications in both vehicle and building engineering. To meet a growing demand, a variety of different types of double and sandwich panels have been developed during the last few decades. One of the problems to deal with is b e the assessment of the acoustic performances of such panels once they are alread...

In recent years, a new technique for the determination of the transmission loss of sandwich panels has been applied to simple and composite building materials. The method is based on a model which, given an anisotropic panel, requires physical and mechanical properties of the materials making the structure and the natural frequencies of two beams c...

There are many possible applications for sandwich and honeycomb structures in the vehicle and building industry. However, a lightweight and stiff honeycomb structure has often poor acoustic properties. It is therefore essential that some acoustic properties can be predicted and optimized. It has been found that the so called apparent bending stiffn...

High quality yachts are not always developed to give good vibro-acoustic performances. A research project has been carried out in cooperation with a yacht manufacturer with the main goal of improving the transmission loss of a bulkhead dividing the crew cabin from the owner's cabin. First of all the comfort class of the yacht was investigated. The...

In recent years, a new technique for the determination of the transmission loss (TL) of sandwich panels has been developed. The method is based on a model which, given an ortho-tropic sandwich panel, requires physical and mechanical properties of the materials and the natural frequencies of two beams, cut from the orthogonal directions of the plate...

For those companies interested in the construction of large commercial building, the use of precast concrete panels gives good advantages. On the other hand, the determination of the transmission loss of such panels according to ISO 140 is expensive and difficult because of the huge panels dimensions. For this reason it is very difficult to test th...

Sandwich and honeycomb materials are increasingly used by the vehicle and building industries. Consequently, the prediction of the acoustic properties and in particular the sound transmission loss of sandwich structures is of importance. The dynamic and acoustic properties of a composite sandwich beam or plate depend on the geometry of the structur...

This work illustrates an engineering approach for the analysis of plywood/fibreglass perforated panels, to be used for the linearisation of the frequency response of medium size rooms below 200Hz. The sound absorption coefficient of these panels is computed, by means of coupled acoustical/structural finite element (FEM) analyses, as a function of t...

Perforated panels can be used as devices for the selective acoustic correction of rooms. Unlike panels made by porous materials, they work principally at low and middle frequency, and are acoustically inert at high frequency. For this reason, their main application is for the correction of modal resonances of rooms. Perforated panels consist of one...

This paper describes the acoustic configuration and the noise control devices applied to a large refractory brick plant inside a touristic municipality in order to reduce the sound pressure level to the limits stated from Italian regulations. The case study is intricate for the complexity of the orography and the localization of the main sound emis...

This article presents one of the problems concerning the noise produced by the contact of a pencil on the paper surface. The purpose of the present work was to achieve the greater number of information in order to obtain noise curves in function of the contact pressure on the sheet, of hardness of the graphite and the roughness of the surface. A re...