Acoustical Banners for Reverberation Control in Sports Arenas

What Does a Lapendary Panel Do?

We get this question all the time. Charles Splain, an MBI subject matter expert and author, explains the Lapendary Panel’s origin and use cases in this article originally published in S&V Observer. 

Acoustical Banners for Reverberation Control in Sports Arenas

By Charles W. Splain

In 1980, Bob Coffeen (Coffeen Fricke and Associates, Inc.) conceived the idea of using unfaced fiberglass blankets suspended like a hammock to provide cost-effective sound absorption for large spaces such as gymnasiums, arenas, exhibit halls and similar building spaces. The acoustical consultants successfully treated two projects with this prototype banner. Subsequently, they were involved with a gymnasium project at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, MO, that had a very restricted budget.

It was at this point in 1982 that Bob Coffeen contacted Bernie Zarnick of MBI Products. Together they determined that a thin fabric or plastic covering would be more visually desirable and would not negatively affect the sound-absorbing properties of the core material. This covering was necessary to achieve a suitable color and appearance for the banners while also encapsulating the fiberglass core material. MBI produced the banners for the gym and termed them Lapendary® Panels. This product has now been used in hundreds of sports arenas across the country and at many other facilities.

Lapendary Panel Construction

The Lapendary Acoustical Banner is typically manufactured of a low-density fiberglass core, anywhere from 0.75-1.5 lb density. It generally comes in thicknesses ranging from 1-4 in. It can be encapsulated with a PVC film, nylon rip-stop sailcloth or a decorative fabric.

Noise Reduction Coefficient

The sound absorption is very good across the frequency band. The absorption for 2 in.× 0.75 lb material is greater than 0.92 from 125-4000 Hz. We attribute this unique absorption characteristic to its method of suspension and covering used on the panel itself.

Lapendary Panel Suspension

The Lapendary banner is typically suspended in a catenary fashion. Due to the large variety of buildings needing acoustical treatment and the prevalence of sprinkler systems, several other methods of suspension have been designed. The acoustical banners can be “buttoned” up to the deck with 3-in.-diameter washers for a very flat appearance. The acoustical banners can also be suspended to the deck using aircraft cable. The cable method is more attractive than the washers, but it is also more labor-intensive. There are other less conventional methods of suspension available, but those are designed on a job-by-job basis.

Typical Lapendary Panel installation

Arena Case Study - Lapendary Panels Installed

The acoustical consulting firm of Peter Klaveness & Associates conducted a case study on the former Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA, before and after the installation of Lapendary banners. Arco Arena had about 17,000 seats, and approximately 90% of the high roof area was treated with acoustical banners to achieve these results.

The table below shows the arena’s pre- and post-treatment reverberation times in seconds.

Please visit www.mbiproducts.com for additional information on Lapendary banners.

*Some information in this article has been updated for accuracy.

About the Author

Charles Splain, Vice President of Sales

With thirty years’ tenure, Chuck handles business-related duties involving the sales team, new client development, acoustic design, and new product development. He has derived great pleasure from watching the operation grow and never tires of the stories about how MBI products have changed customers’ lives.