Acoustic Application of Perforated Aluminum Panels in High‑Speed Railway Stations and Airport Terminals

High‑speed railway stations and airport terminals are typical large‑space public transport buildings, featuring huge spatial volume, high passenger density, abundant equipment noise sources and long reverberation time. In these buildings, professional acoustic design to control reverberation time, reduce noise level and improve speech intelligibility is a critical design subject. Thanks to excellent sound absorption, durability, fire resistance and decorative performance, perforated aluminum panels have become the dominant acoustic decorative material for transport hubs. They are widely used in platform ceilings, waiting hall ceilings, wall claddings and transfer corridors. This paper discusses the acoustic features of transport hub buildings, application forms of perforated aluminum panels and practical engineering effects.

The acoustic environment of high‑speed railway stations and airport terminals carries unique complexity. First of all, the spatial volume is enormous. Waiting halls and terminal buildings usually have floor heights ranging from more than ten meters to dozens of meters, covering an area of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of square meters. Such massive space leads to long reverberation time. Without sound absorption treatment, reverberation time in such spaces may reach 5–8 seconds. Sound will reflect repeatedly inside the space, causing severe echo and rumble, poor speech intelligibility, and making public announcement systems barely audible. Secondly, sound sources are diverse and overlapping: train operation noise, aircraft engine noise, noise from HVAC systems and chatter from large crowds combine to create a noisy acoustic environment. Thirdly, functional requirements are stringent. These transport hubs serve tens of thousands of passengers every day. Clear public announcement systems and comfortable conversation conditions are essential for visitors. Fourthly, passenger density peaks during rush hours, which raises the standard for acoustic comfort. All these acoustic characteristics demand professional architectural acoustic design, where sound‑absorbing materials are extensively installed on ceiling and wall surfaces to control reverberation and improve the acoustic environment.

Perforated aluminum panels are applied in transport hub buildings in several main forms. The first is sound‑absorbing ceiling for platform zones. Platforms of high‑speed railway stations witness frequent train arrivals and departures, generating heavy wheel‑rail noise and aerodynamic noise, while intelligibility of train announcements remains vital. High‑perforation‑rate perforated aluminum panels installed on platform ceilings, backed by sound‑absorbing glass wool, effectively absorb train‑related noise and boost speech intelligibility of announcements. Silver grey or white perforated aluminum panels are commonly selected for platforms, with a perforation rate of 20–25% and matched with 50 mm centrifugal glass wool for reliable sound absorption. The second is sound‑absorbing ceiling for waiting halls. As the core area of stations, waiting halls with large clear heights require the highest acoustic standard. Large‑area perforated aluminum sound‑absorbing ceilings are adopted across the whole hall. Sufficient sound‑absorbing materials limit reverberation time within a reasonable range, generally 1.5–2.0 seconds, ensuring clear speech and comfortable noise levels. Perforated ceilings for large waiting halls can be integrated with architectural forms, including flat, curved and wavy configurations, as perforated aluminum panels adapt well to diverse shaping requirements. The third form is sound‑absorbing wall panels. Perforated aluminum sound‑absorbing panels are installed on the lower walls of halls and corridors to expand sound‑absorbing area and optimize acoustic performance. Patterned perforated wall panels also serve decorative purposes. The fourth application covers transfer corridors and walkways. Perforated aluminum ceilings and wall claddings in connecting passages reduce echo and noise superposition in long narrow spaces. Beyond acoustic functions, perforated aluminum panels feature favorable fire resistance, easy cleaning and long service life, perfectly matching high‑intensity public buildings with strict safety requirements and heavy pedestrian flow.

What performance can perforated aluminum panels deliver in acoustic design for transport hubs? Numerous real‑world projects prove that acoustic conditions are significantly improved after installing perforated aluminum sound‑absorbing ceilings. For high‑speed railway stations, noise level on platforms can drop by 5–10 decibels after installation, and the Speech Transmission Index (STI) rises from 0.4–0.5 to 0.6–0.7, allowing passengers to hear announcements clearly. Reverberation time in waiting halls is reduced from 6–8 seconds (without sound absorption) to around 2 seconds, eliminating prominent echo and rumble for clearer announcements and conversations. Perforated aluminum sound‑absorbing ceilings play an equally important role in airport terminals. After sound absorption treatment, public announcements inside huge terminal buildings become intelligible, and crowd chatter is effectively controlled for a quieter and more comfortable acoustic environment. Apart from acoustic benefits, perforated aluminum panels bring extra advantages for transport hubs: the metal material achieves excellent fire performance to meet strict fire codes for public transit buildings; the smooth surface resists dust accumulation and facilitates maintenance for high‑traffic venues; rich colour and shape options blend harmoniously with architectural design and elevate overall space quality; low self‑weight and high strength suit large‑span ceiling structures; long service life cuts long‑term operating costs. Owing to these comprehensive strengths, perforated aluminum panels have become the standard acoustic decorative material for large transport hubs domestically and internationally, widely adopted in high‑speed railway stations and airports.

With the continuous expansion of China’s high‑speed rail network and rapid development of civil aviation, transport hub buildings grow larger and adopt more innovative forms, placing higher requirements on perforated aluminum panel applications. Modern hub design emphasizes integrated and artistic space. Ceilings are no longer simple flat surfaces but consist of curved, folded and wavy forms, so perforated aluminum panels need to be processed into special‑shaped and curved panels to fit complex geometries. Meanwhile, architectural acoustic design becomes increasingly refined. Acoustic simulation predicts space performance in the design phase to optimize perforation rate, sound‑absorbing wool thickness and layout scheme, achieving optimal acoustic effects with economical material consumption. Moreover, intelligent public announcement and guidance systems demand superior acoustic environments, since reliable speech transmission forms the foundation for effective guidance. As a mature, dependable and high‑performance acoustic decorative material, perforated aluminum panels will keep playing a vital role in more transport hub buildings in the future, delivering comfortable, efficient and convenient acoustic environments for passengers.