Construction and demolition sites often produce vibrations from the on-site activities or heavy equipment and machinery being used. For large construction and demolition projects, the vibrations can have a significant impact on the surrounding structures. This can be a problem and may result in disputes and vibration damage claims, especially in urban areas where buildings tend to be close to each other. For this reason, monitoring such vibrations has become a crucial part of many construction and demolition projects. In some instances, it may be a requirement in your construction or demolition process. Therefore, here is all you need to know regarding construction vibration monitoring.

What It Is

The process of monitoring construction vibrations entails using vibration monitors to identify and record any movements in the ground resulting from demolition or construction activities. Generally, construction and demolition activities cause rock or soil particles in the ground to move at a particular velocity. Therefore, the velocity and duration of the movements are also detected and monitored by the vibration monitoring equipment.

Vibration monitoring is typically done during heavy parts of your project that may cause significant vibrations. For instance, vibration monitoring will come in handy during demolitions, rock blasting, pile driving and heavy truck hauling.

Vibration Monitoring Equipment

Generally, vibration monitoring relies on seismographic equipment or seismographs to detect the ground movements of vibrations and record them. Seismographs detect seismic waves caused by construction activities. However, seismographs tend to have memory limitations. That is, they are primarily designed to detect vibrations in blasting projects. Therefore, they may lack the memory to hold vibrations in construction settings, which generally can be more or higher than in blasting settings. For this reason, other instruments or equipment are often used to provide additional information that would help contractors make meaningful decisions on site. Some of the equipment include strain gauges, accelerometers and displacement gauges.

When choosing your vibration monitoring equipment, it's best to consider functionalities and capabilities that make all the difference in their effectiveness. For instance, consider equipment with email or SMS trigger alarm systems that allow you to take immediate action whenever vibrations reach dangerous levels. Other capabilities worth considering include internet accessibility, history recordings, data backup and compact installation.

Why It's Important

Monitoring construction vibrations is crucial for many reasons. First, it ensures compliance with any applicable regulations regarding construction vibrations. In addition, it enables you to manage risks like property damage, injuries, damage claims, litigations, etc., that may result from excessive vibrations. 

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