construc_vibration

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Monitoring Vibration and Noise Construction Equipment

Aimone-Martin Associates, LLC have extensive field experience working in the construction industry to monitor vibrations and
noise from equipment used for rock excavation (rock trenchers, hoe hams), pile driving, and vibratory compaction of soils and
asphalt. When construction equipment operates near inhabited buildings, vibrations can be particularly disturbing to persons inside due to the repetitive and continuous nature of the equipment mechanical energy. The ground motion energy often contains frequency components that "match the natural frequency of structures. Resulting motions in structure walls tend to cause loose objects resting against of on walls to rattle, producing noise. This noise often startles and alarms residents, leading them to think that the structure is being damaged when indeed the displacements are far too low to cause structure cracking.

Comparing vibrator equipment, pile drivers, rock excavators and impactors generate high frequency ground motions that tend to attenuate quickly with distance. Vibratory rollers can produce disturbing wall deflections because of the low frequencies associated with compacting. As a result, we find more objects being dislodged from walls and shelves (pictures falling and bric-a-brac overturning) with vibratory rollers than with other types of equipment. Normally, construction equipment working near structure do not cause damage from vibrations. it is not possible to induce cracking in walls or foundations from the operation of impactors, pile drivers, excavators, or rollers at the normal building stand-off distances used in industry practice.

Vibration Monitoring and Public Relations

We assume that the U.S. Bureau of Mines safe vibration criteria developed for blasting near structures apply to construction vibrations. As such, a vibration monitoring plan including public education and intensive vibration monitoring at the beginning of every project, with supplemental monitoring as needed, is the most effective and economical way to protect your operations.

Our community relations plans include

pre-construction condition surveys of close-in structures
written notification informing property owners what to expect and how to prepare to construction activity
initial vibration monitoring employing extensive arrays of seismographs to characterize the statistical spread of ground motions
curves developed to predict ground velocity as a function of distance for each type of vibratory equipment on site

These curves are used in the event that damage claims arise.

Our firm supports developers and contractors throughout the construction project by serving as a buffer with the community. We field all citizen complaints and immediately address concerns in a variety of ways specific to your project scope.