LATVIAN ACOUSTICAL ASSOCIATION -LAA-
1. SOCIETY LOGO
2. SOCIETY DATA
COUNTRY
1. Country: Latvia
SOCIETY DATA
2. Status: Full Member
3. Society name (in English): Latvian Acoustics Association
4. Original Society name: Latvijas Akustiku Apvieniba
5. Society acronyms: LAA
6. Address: 3 Kurzemes Ave.
LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
7. Phone: +371 7815007
8. Fax: +371 7815008
9. E-mail: rd.akustika@apollo.lv
10. Web: www.akustika.lv
11. Society Journal (name):
PRESIDENT DATA
12. Family name, first name: Veits Ivars
13. Institution/Company: -
14. Address: Nauheim,T-Mann-Str.3
15. Phone: +491739515810, +496152979387
16. Fax : -
17. E-mail: i.veits@t-online.de
SECRETARY/SECRETARIAT
DATA
18. Family name, first name: Gundars Kozlovskis
19. Institution/Company: “R & D Akustika” Ltd.
20. Address: 3 Kurzemes Ave.
LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
21. Phone: +371 7815007
22. Fax: +371 7815008
23. E-mail: rd.akustika@apollo.lv
TREASURER DATA
24. Family name, first name: Gundars Kozlovskis
25. Institution/Company: “R & D Akustika” Ltd.
26. Address: 3 Kurzemes Ave.
LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
27. Phone: +371 7185007
28. Fax: +371 7815008
29. E-mail: rd.akustika@apollo.lv
3. SOCIETY PROFILE
The research work in acoustics was started in Latvia before the World War II, when Associate Professor Birznieks at Latvian University made substantial research of sound and architectural acoustics. A remarkable contribution to applied acoustics was made by the engineers of the State Electrical Engineering Factory, who were designing and manufacturing loudspeakers. The same were produced at the Radio Assembly Plant of Apsitis & Zhukovsky.
In the post-war period, acoustic research was taking place mainly in the laboratories of so-called “All-Union” enterprises, such as the Riga Radio Plant, and later radio-manufacturing and development company “RADIOTEHNIKA” with a former member of the IEC R.Kerno supervising design and scientific work at the head of its acoustics department. The laboratories of the USSR military units used to carry out original research, yet it was of limited access.
The Latvian
Academy of Sciences as well as all the Riga Technical University (RTU), Latvian
University, former Riga Institute of Civil Aviation signed contracts for research
in development of electro-acoustic devices.
The following decades, especially the 60ies and 70ies saw a boom of civil
engineering, consequently research and design of building acoustics was renewed.
The most prominent specialists was Assistant Professor A. Vecsilis at RTU.
Assistant Professor K.Tomarins at the same institute also did theoretical
research.
During the 80ies building acoustics research group at the state institute
“Pilsetprojekts” contributed to further development of applied
acoustics in Latvia by completing comprehensive packages of acoustic measurements
and design.
Up to 90ies various acoustics specialists in Latvia developed their practical
and regular cooperation through personal contacts.
The unification of the acoustics experts of Latvia was directly influenced
by the two following events:
The formation of the Latvian Technical Committee of Standardization “Acoustics” in 1996.
The international EAA/EEAA symposium on “Traffic Noise” in Tallin (Estonia), in the summer of 1998).
The Latvian Acoustics Association was founded on the 18th December, 1998, at a joint meeting of the members of 10 various acoustics organizations. It is a non-governmental professional organization of the professional acoustics specialists of Latvia (both individuals and juridical persons) for developing and implementing joint action plan. The activities of the association started in 1999, mainly in the two following directions:
Sorting out of normative and informative situation by developing the standards, norms and regulations of the Latvian Republic.
Establishing a Certification Board and developing regulations to assess and certify acoustics specialists in Latvia.
By the
end of 1999 the first State acoustics Standards had been introduced and 7
acoustics specialists from 5 organizations had been certified.
The millennium was started with an outreach programme: planning maximum of
cooperation with different organizations and sponsoring various undertakings,
notably such as the Acoustics measurement workshop for Riga Municipal Police.
The Latvian Acoustics Association have activities in several branches:
1) Environment
noise pollution research, prognosis and noise control engineering.
2 ) Building & architectural acoustics, including measurements, modelling
and design.
3 ) Inservice training, instruction and certification.
4 ) Developing regulations and methodology, processing information.
Physiological acoustics.
Regular specific acoustic measurement series and research in the chambers of reverberation and absorption at the “R&D Akustika” Ltd. should be singled out as very important. It is envisaging both quantitative and qualitative growth as well as looking forward to closer integration into the European framework.