Investigations of ground-borne vibration were made at a number of houses where residents had previously been questioned about the problem of the nuisance caused by traffic-induced vibrations. In this earlier 50 site study it had been found that noise exposure levels measured at the facades of dwellings correlated reasonably well with ratings of vibration nuisance indicating the importance of acoustically coupled vibrations. However it was considered that improvements in the size of the correlation might result if measures of ground-borne vibration were included. The objective of the present study was to assess the importance of ground-borne vibrations in affecting vibration disturbance response and to examine factors likely to influence the generation of such vibrations in buildings. Vibration measurements were taken inside and outside dwellings located close to relatively large road surface irregularities. Measurements were made during the passage of light and heavy vehicles and a TRRL test lorry loaded close to the legal axle weight limit. Results indicate that it is likely that only a relatively small number of dwellings at the 50 sites were affected by perceptible levels of ground-borne vibration. The disturbing potential of a surface irregularity has been related to its maximum profile height or depth.
Abstract