ATTENUATION OF GROUND VIBRATIONS FROM PILE DRIVING

Abstract

IT IS COMMONLY ARGUED THAT PRACTICAL ESTIMATES OF THE REDUCTION IN GROUND VIBRATION AMPLITUDE WITH DISTANCE IN PILED GROUND CAN BE LARGELY INDEPENDENT OF THE GEOTECHNICAL NATURE OF THE GROUND. THIS REPORT PRESENTS A NUMBER OF VIBRATION MEASUREMENTS MADE IN THE VICINITY OF DRIVEN PILING AND VIBRO-PENETRATION OPERATIONS. THE RESULTS, WHICH COVER A RANGE OF PENETRATION CONFIGURATIONS, ENERGY INPUTS AND GROUND CONDITIONS, CONFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF AN ATTENUATION RELATION, WITH SURFACE VELOCITY AMPLITUDE DECREASING DIRECTLY WITH DISTANCE AND INVERSELY AS THE SQUARE ROOT OF THE INPUT ENERGY AT SOURCE. A CONSERVATIVE CONSTANT OF PROPORTIONALITY IS 1.5 TO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL PREDICTION VIBRATION EQUATION. /TRRL/