Andrea Santoni, a researcher at the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano and a member of the ReLAB – Renewable Heating and Cooling Lab team, participated as a speaker at Forum Acusticum 2026, held in Graz, Austria, from 8 to 12 September.

Organised by the European Acoustics Association and the Austrian Acoustics Association, Forum Acusticum is the annual European conference dedicated to acoustics and noise control engineering. The event brings together researchers, professionals and industry representatives to present new scientific findings and foster discussion on topics ranging from architectural and environmental acoustics to electroacoustics, psychoacoustics and acoustic materials. The 2026 edition received over 900 contributions, including papers and abstracts.

During the conference, Santoni presented two contributions developed during his previous work at the University of Ferrara.

The first, “Vibro-Acoustic Characterization of an Historic Theatre Ceiling: structure-hall interaction”, explores the vibroacoustic behaviour of the ceiling of the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara. The research forms part of a project aimed at assessing vibrations generated by amplified music events and their potential impact on the building’s most delicate architectural elements.

Using experimental measurements and a hybrid numerical model, the study also analysed the interaction between ceiling vibrations and the acoustics of the hall. The results indicate that the structure’s contribution to the room’s acoustic response can be significant, particularly at lower frequencies. The work therefore provides useful tools for balancing the preservation of historic buildings with the requirements of contemporary performances and events.

The second presentation, “Variability of the physical and acoustic characteristics of polyurethane foams”, focused on open-cell polyurethane foams, materials widely used for sound insulation and absorption in the automotive and industrial sectors.

The manufacturing process can generate variations in density and structure within a single block of material, making its performance more complex to model. The research examined samples taken at different depths, relating their microstructure to their physical and acoustic properties. In particular, a method was developed to experimentally determine the degree of openness of the cellular structure, a key parameter for predicting the material’s acoustic behaviour.

The proposed approach can support the industrial design and optimisation of acoustic treatments with varying density and morphology, enabling more reliable predictions of their performance.