What Is Ground Vibration Monitoring & Why Is It So Important for Your Project?

October, 31 2021
What Is Ground Vibration Monitoring & Why Is It So Important for Your Project?

Ground vibrations monitoring is one of the most important considerations to make when working on any construction project. The normal course of construction may not cover ground vibration or seismology monitoring, causing its importance sometimes to get overlooked.
Ground vibration monitoring aims not just to prevent structural damage but also to protect sensitive processes, procedures, and equipment in adjacent buildings. People often forget to cater to neighboring buildings, and this negligence may lead to potential liability or legal action in worst-case scenarios.
This article will look over some of the more important elements that ground vibration consultants can help accomplish and why it’s crucial.

Importance of Construction Vibration Monitoring Services

Some sites that are extremely susceptible to damage or malfunction because of construction vibrations include:

  • Operating rooms,
  • MRI and CT scan equipment
  • Research laboratories
  • University/college/school practical laboratories
  • Microelectronic manufacturing
  • Data centers, and more.

Surrounding building infrastructure may also end up getting damaged if the vibration’s resonance meets, leading to constructive interference. If the amplitude of vibrations increases a lot, the building may fall.

Construction vibration may be caused by:

  • Large traffic
  • Soil compaction
  • Pile drivers
  • Blasting
  • Drilling
  • Excavation
  • Sheet piling, and more.

Jobsites themselves also run the risk of machine failure, equipment damage, or the whole structure may crumble because of vibrations from the same or adjacent construction site(s).
Vibrations at construction sites have also been known to reduce the strength of concrete during the curing process as it tends to introduce cracks into the cured slabs. These cracks let out stress over time and increase in size and width.

Eventually, the cracks exposed to the elements give way, leading to a much bigger disaster.

Construction projects in remote areas may not impact other buildings, but ground vibrations may get carried far and wide because of compact soil. These vibrations disturb the nearby fauna and flora, affecting the whole ecosystem at once.

Performing Ground Vibration Testing

The problem with construction is that even the slightest vibrations may cause damage, while prominent ones could be benign. Furthermore, the damage from vibrations may not be immediately evident.

This is precisely why you need a vibration monitoring expert well-versed in the measurement and analysis of ground vibrations and who can consult on your project to complete it safely.
Construction vibration monitoring service is a continuous service that needs to be performed throughout the construction period. To mitigate the risks associated with ground vibrations and other seismic hazards or get a complete forensic report of the ground your next project will be on, we urge you to give G3 Soilworks a call today!

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G3SoilWorks – a full service geotechnical / engineering geologic consulting firm, is pleased to reach our third year. It has come with many interesting clients, assignments and obstacles.

G3SoilWorks
350 Fischer Avenue Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Tel. 714-707-3155
E. info@g3soilworks.com