AcousPlan

RT60 Reverberation Time Requirements

Acoustic requirements for 10 room types across 7 international standards. Select a room type to see all applicable targets, or browse by standard.

By Room Type

🏫

Classroom

Primary and secondary school classrooms, lecture rooms

Volume: 150-300 m³
RT60: ≤ 0.6s (500-2000 Hz)
BSDINANSIWELL
🏢

Open Plan Office

Open plan workspaces, trading floors, collaborative offices

Volume: 500-5,000 m²
RT60: ≤ 0.5s (meeting rooms within)
WELLBS
🤝

Meeting Room

Conference rooms, boardrooms, video conferencing spaces

Volume: 30-150 m³
RT60: ≤ 0.6s
WELLBS
🎤

Recording Studio

Music recording studios, vocal booths, podcast rooms

Volume: 20-200 m³
RT60: Live room: 0.3-0.5s
ISO
🎶

Concert Hall

Symphony halls, recital halls, performance venues

Volume: 5,000-25,000 m³
RT60: Symphony: 1.8-2.2s
ISO
🍽️

Restaurant

Restaurants, cafes, bars, food halls

Volume: 200-2,000 m³
RT60: ≤ 0.8s (dining)
BS
🏥

Hospital Ward

Patient wards, recovery rooms, consultation rooms

Volume: 100-500 m³
RT60: ≤ 0.8s (wards)
HTMWELL
⛪

Worship Space

Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples

Volume: 500-20,000 m³
RT60: Speech: 1.0-1.5s
ISO
🏋️

Sports Hall

Indoor sports halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools

Volume: 3,000-15,000 m³
RT60: ≤ 1.5s (sports halls)
BS
🎧

Home Studio

Home recording studios, podcast rooms, home offices

Volume: 10-60 m³
RT60: 0.2-0.4s (voice/podcast)
ISO

By Standard

WELL v2 Feature 74

IWBI · Global

Covers 4 room types in this guide.

ClassroomOpen Plan OfficeMeeting RoomHospital Ward
BS 8233:2014

BSI · UK

Covers 5 room types in this guide.

ClassroomOpen Plan OfficeMeeting RoomRestaurantSports Hall
DIN 18041:2016

DIN · Germany/EU

Covers 1 room type in this guide.

Classroom
ANSI S12.60

ASA · USA

Covers 1 room type in this guide.

Classroom
ISO 3382

ISO · Global

Covers 4 room types in this guide.

Recording StudioConcert HallWorship SpaceHome Studio
HTM 08-01

NHSE · UK NHS

Covers 1 room type in this guide.

Hospital Ward

RT60 Targets at a Glance

Room TypeWELL v2 Feature 74BS 8233:2014DIN 18041:2016ANSI S12.60ISO 3382HTM 08-01
Classroom≤ 0.6s furnished≤ 0.6s (500-2000 Hz)≤ 0.55s Quality Class A≤ 0.6s unoccupied\u2014\u2014
Open Plan Office≤ 0.5s (meeting rooms within)≤ 0.8s (large open offices)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014
Meeting Room≤ 0.6s≤ 0.6s\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014
Recording Studio\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014Live room: 0.3-0.5s\u2014
Concert Hall\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014Symphony: 1.8-2.2s\u2014
Restaurant\u2014≤ 0.8s (dining)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014
Hospital Ward≤ 0.6s\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014≤ 0.8s (wards)
Worship Space\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014Speech: 1.0-1.5s\u2014
Sports Hall\u2014≤ 1.5s (sports halls)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014
Home Studio\u2014\u2014\u2014\u20140.2-0.4s (voice/podcast)\u2014

Frequently Asked Questions

What is RT60 reverberation time?

RT60 is the time, in seconds, for sound to decay by 60 decibels after the source stops. It is the primary metric for characterising room acoustics and is measured per ISO 3382-2:2008 at octave band centre frequencies from 125 Hz to 4 kHz.

Which acoustic standard should I use?

The applicable standard depends on your project location and any certification targets. UK projects typically use BS 8233, German projects use DIN 18041, US projects use ANSI S12.60, and WELL-certified buildings worldwide must meet Feature 74. Performance spaces reference ISO 3382.

How is RT60 calculated?

RT60 is calculated using the Sabine equation (T60 = 0.161 x V / A) for rooms with low average absorption, or the Eyring equation for rooms with average absorption coefficient above 0.20. V is room volume in cubic metres, A is total acoustic absorption in sabins.

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