An Study on the Sound Attenuation and the Improvement in Hearing Condition of Fire Alarm Device in Apartment Buildings

In many fire emergencies, the auditory fire alarm signals are very important to save the occupant's life. But as the sound insulation of building elements has been improved, it is more difficult for occupant to recognize the fire alarm signals when the audible fire alarm worked. This is the first study to show the sound attenuation of audible fire alarm device in apartments. We measured and analyzed the sound attenuation level in seven units. The result showed that it was not sufficient to detect the sound from the fire alarm device in bedrooms. Whether the fire alarm device worked or not, the differences of sound level in bedrooms were below 1$\sim$10 dBA. To give the minimum sound level 60 dBA in bedrooms, the proper sound levels from alarm device installed in livingrooms were suggested using computer simulation.