Many construction projects require the use of vibration-inducing heavy machinery, which can cause damage to structures near the construction site through ground-borne vibration. As a result, monitoring of vibration levels during certain construction activities has become standard procedure on many large projects. Failure to define and comply with maximum vibration limits during construction can lead to large objektschutz mönchengladbach building repair costs for the contractor. Of particular concern are pile driving operations, shoring installation, use of ABI machines, demolition activities and soil excavation.
Vibration monitoring is usually performed for one of two reasons:
- The contractor requires real-time vibration readings to ensure vibration levels do not exceed pre-defined vibration limits.
- The contractor requires a record of vibration levels produced during construction to protect against future lawsuits from people or organizations claiming construction activities caused building damage.
Building damage can include relatively minor issues such as the loosening of paint and plaster, through to much more serious issues such as dislodging of masonry and structural weakening. Factors that determine whether damage occurs include the magnitude and duration of the vibration, the ground type, and the construction and age of the nearby buildings.
With some knowledge of the vibration levels produced by the machine and the layout of the construction site, it is possible to anticipate where vibration problems may occur at the construction site. By planning ahead, the potential for building damage can be greatly reduced. While designing engineered mitigation measures to reduce vibration is not usually possible, alternative construction methods can be required at certain areas of the project site where vibration issues may occur.
Vibration monitoring systems at construction sites typically measure peak particle velocity (PPV) vibration levels in the x, y and z axes. The PPV metric correlates well with building damage as well as human discomfort and is therefore the most suitable value to monitor. Limiting PPV values can be as low as 0.08 inch/s for the most sensitive structures (eg. historical monuments) and as high as 2.0 inch/s for new industrial buildings. Many monitoring systems provide an instantaneous alert of vibration limit baustellenüberwachung mönchengladbach exceedances through the use of text alerts or alarm beacons, so that vibration-inducing machinery can be immediately shut off to prevent building damage. With an on-site monitoring technician, it is possible to identify the causes of vibration problems and analyze potential mitigation solutions. In our experience, contractors usually want daily monitoring reports showing the logged vibration measurement data so that they can assess for themselves the potential for building damage as the project progresses.