Case Studies of Construction Vibration Monitoring and Evaluation through Soil-Structure Interaction

Construction-induced vibrations can cause notable shaking in existing buildings near active construction sites. Some of the most common sources of construction-induced vibrations are demolition activities, foundation pile installation, soil compaction, and other dynamic actions generated by construction or deconstruction machinery. These vibrations can damage the adjacent building’s structural or architectural features or disturb its occupants. The adjacent sites are generally instrumented with seismographs to monitor the magnitude of vibrations while the construction or deconstruction activities are ongoing. Moreover, issues related to construction-induced vibrations are emerging as a concern in many cities across the United States due to the increasing density of buildings or transforming existing low-rise buildings into high-rise condominiums. Limited guidance is available in local building codes to assist engineers, building officials, developers, contractors, owners, and building occupants proactively evaluating the risk of damage caused by adjacent construction vibrations. Therefore, this article discusses published literature that correlates the construction-induced vibration levels to building’s damage and reviews the current state of the art in vibrations monitoring through two case studies. A case study is also discussed where soil-structure interaction analysis is used to anticipate the risk induced to the adjacent buildings by construction or deconstruction activities.