Vol. 20 No. 36 (2005): Acústica e Vibrações 36

Editorial

It is always healthy for an organization to assess its mission and objectives and propose changes to guarantee its contribution and continue its existence. This has always been SOBRAC's vision.
Founded on November 21, 1984, the Sociedade Brasileira de Acústica aims to disseminate information among researchers, manufacturers, consultants and users. The magazine “Acústica e Vibrações” is published every six months and covers activities, events and research in the area of ​​vibrations and noise. It is distributed to Brazilian partners and other international acoustic societies.

Since 1985, SOBRAC has been a member of the I-INCE (International Institute of Noise Control Engineering), the IIAV (International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration), the ICA (International Commission of Acoustics) and the FIA ​​(Federação Iberoamericana de Acústica), participating in the discussions for the elaboration of the Silence Law, in 1990, and the Vehicular Noise Law, in 1993. They also have representatives in ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Norms) and in other institutions related to safety at work and acoustic comfort.

The society is made up of several working groups: the Ruído Veicular group, responsible for organizing symposia in São Paulo; Building Acoustics, which promotes joint meetings with Ergonomics and Thermal Comfort groups; and the Hearing Conservation and Hearing Protectors group, which works with other occupational safety and medicine entities.

During my term as president, we managed to consolidate SOBRAC at a national and international level. We effectively participate in international congresses representing Brazil, such as in the Congress Selection Committee of I-INCE, the entity that decides on I-INCE congresses, and in the Board of Directors of ICA and IIAV. We managed to bring the biggest congress, International Congress of Noise Control Engineering – Internoise 2005 to Brazil, after 20 years of struggle, which was held from August 7th to 10th, 2005, at SOFITEL, Rio de Janeiro, with the presence of a thousand participants from 43 countries, three courses, six invited lectures, 36 parallel technical sessions, 529 technical papers presented, which shows the great success of this event in Brazil (visit the website http://www.internoise2005.org.br for see the program executed and photos of the event).

The SOBRAC magazine “Revista de Acústica e Vibrações” is published in July and December, and its special edition of
July 2005 was the book of abstracts for Internoise 2005. As of the December 2005 edition, the magazine acquires a new format following the international standard. As of 2006, a new board will take over the direction of SOBRAC with a new editorial board for the magazine.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone for the support given during my term and I wish the next president and board of directors for 2006-2008 a job full of accomplishments.

Samir N.Y. Gerges, President of SOBRAC 2002–2005

Summary content:

• Sound diffusion in concert halls and diffusers;
• Experimental investigation of the sound directionality of a concert harp;
• Study and implementation of impulsive measurement methods; and
• Inharmorability and tuning of pianos.