Acoustic Performance of Sound Absorbing Materials Produced from Wool of Local Mountain Sheep

Katarzyna Kobiela-Mendrek, Marcin Bączek, Jan Broda, Monika Rom, Ingvild Espelien and Ingun Klepp

Abstract

Wool of mountain sheep, treated nowadays as a waste or troublesome byproduct of sheep husbandry, was used for the production of sound-absorbing materials. Felts of two different thicknesses were produced from loose fibres. Additionally, two types of yarn,ring-spun and core rug, were obtained. The yarns were used for the production of tufted fabric with cut and loop piles. During the examinations, basic parameters of the obtained materials were determined. Then, according to standard procedure with the use of impedance tube, the sound absorption coefficient was measured, and the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) was calculated. It was revealed that felt produced from coarse wool exhibits high porosity, and its sound-absorbing capacity is strongly related to the felt thickness. For thicker felt the NRC achieved0.4, which is comparable with the NRC of commercial ceiling tiles. It was shown that the crucial parameter influencing the sound absorption of the tufted fabrics was the pile height. For both types of yarns, when the height of the pile was increased from 12 to 16 mm, the NRC increased from 0.4 to 0.42. The manufactured materials made from local wool possess good absorption capacity, similar to commercial products usually made from more expensive wool types. The materials look nice and can be used for noise reduction as inner acoustic screens, panels, or carpets.

Click here to read the full article (mdpi.com).

Jul – pynt, gaver, klær og mat

Annechen Bahr Bugge, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Anita Borch, Alexander Schjøll, Kirsi Laitala og Vilde Anine Rydal Haugrønning

Sammendrag

I denne rapporten er det sett nærmere på hvilken betydning og rolle pynt, gaver, klær og mat har i juleritualet. Resultatene av spørreundersøkelsen viser at hvordan vi feirer jul er preget av stabilitet og relativt små endringer. De aller fleste deltar i julefeiringen. Syv av ti ga uttrykk for at julen hadde stor betydning for dem. Det respondentene satt mest pris på ved ritualet var det sosiale samværet, maten og måltidene og tradisjonene. Langt færre beskrev det kristne julebudskapet eller gavene som betydningsfulle. Samlet viser rapporten at den stemningen og det sosiale samværet som mange sier de setter pris på ved julen, nettopp skapes gjennom forbrukspraksiser som å kjøpe og lage gaver, vaske, rulle og stryke, bake, koke og steke, pynte og dekke bord, kle seg til høytiden, sette god mat på bordet og dele den med kjente og kjære. Rapporten viser dessuten at vi ikke bare er sammen, men også er sammen på en annen måte, en bestemt måte nokså annerledes enn i hverdagen.

Klikk her for å lese hele rapporten (oda.oslomet.no).

Summary

This report looks at the meaning and role of decorations, gifts, clothing and food in the Christmas ritual. The results show that the way we celebrate Christmas in Norway is characterized by stability and small changes. The vast majority of people attend the Christmas celebration. Seven out of ten stated that Christmas was important to them. Social gatherings, food and meals, as well as traditions, were the most appreciated by the respondents. Far fewer described the Christian Christmas message or gifts as important. Overall, the report shows that the atmosphere and sociality that many say they appreciate at Christmas is precisely created through consumer practices, such as buying and making gifts, washing, rolling and ironing, baking, cooking and roasting, decorating, dressing up for the holidays and sharing meals with known and loved ones. The report also shows that we are not only together, but also together in a different way at Christmas, a certain way quite different from everyday life.

The full report is only available in Norwegian.

Klesforbruk i Norge

Ingun Grimstad Klepp og Kirsi Laitala

Sammendrag

Denne rapporten gir en samlet gjennomgang av sentrale temaer omkring klesforbruket i Norge. Rapporten er skrevet for å danne grunnlag for en oppdatering av SIFOs Referansebudsjett innen klær og sko og samtidig gjøre kunnskapen om klesforbruk lettere tilgjengelig for alle interesserte. De enkelte kapitlene tar opp ulike sider ved forbruk av klær som har relevans for SIFOs Referansebudsjett. Vi diskuterer den totale mengden klær og klærs levetid, og går gjennom alle forbruksfasene fra anskaffelse, bruk i ulike anledninger, vedlikehold, gjenbruk og til avhending.

Klikk her for å lese hele rapporten (oda.oslomet.no).

Summary

This report compiles and summarizes the recent clothing and textiles research of SIFOand provides a comprehensive review of the key issues concerning clothing consumption in Norway. The report is written to form the basis for an update of SIFO Reference Budget of clothes and shoes and to make the knowledge of clothing consumption more accessible to all interested parties. The individual chapters address different aspects of clothing consumption which are relevant to SIFOs Reference Budget. We discuss the total amount of clothes and clothing life, and go through all consumption stages including the procurement, use indifferent occasions, maintenance, recycling and disposal.

The full report is only available in Norwegian.

Klippe, klipp, klippe: Kjønnsarbeidsdeling på frammarsj

Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Innledning

I Norge er det stor enighet om at en endring mot et mer likestilt samfunn er ønskelig. I forskningen kan et slikt ønske om endringer være et problem, fordi det som burde ha skjedd, kan stå i veien for å se hva som har skjedd. Denne artikkelen skal handle om hvordan dette ønsket og forestillingen om endring kan være til hinder for å få frem materiale som viser noe annet.

Klikk her for å lese hele artikkelen (ojs.novus.no).

English abstract

It is a widespread conception that we are heading towards a society in which men and women share work and responsibilities more equally. Such notions of change that point in one direction, can obstruct seeing what is really happening. This article is based on questionnaire material. Studies were carried out to answer the question: Are there areas within household work where gender work sharing is increasing? The answer to this is yes. In this material, men have been more active in purchasing and manufacturing clothes and textiles, and in different kinds of household work in areas defined as ”outside” in the period before 1950. The discourse in the article concerns why this can be difficult to see, and why the material offers a less comprehensive answer to the question than desirable.

The full article is only available in Norwegian.