Investigation of ground and foundation vibrations of an existing building during impact pile driving

Pile driving technology remains the most common in Arkhangelsk where the presence of soft soils is an engineering-geological feature. New construction is mainly carried out in the conditions of existing urban development. During pile driving dynamic effects that propagate in the ground can have a negative impact on existing buildings. In common conditions, a distance of more than 25 m is considered safe. Sometimes driving piles by hammer is safe for neighboring buildings at a shorter distance. Often such buildings have pile foundations. The monitoring of pile driving by diesel hammer was carried out at one of the sites in Arkhangelsk. Vertical vibration velocities were measured by a vibration analyzer with independent channels. One vibration sensor was installed on the ground surface, the other one on the foundation of a 5-storey building. Continuous recordings of vibrations allowed a detailed analysis of the driving process of each pile. The level of dynamic effects propagating in the ground changed with the penetration of the driven pile. The highest values were observed when pile foots passed through a layer of glacial deposits. Change in soil resistance to pile driving also affected the operation of diesel hammer. The level of dynamic effects increased as the distance to the driven pile decreased both on the ground surface and on the foundation of the building, while the values on the ground surface were higher. The ratio of the highest vertical peak vibration velocities on the ground surface and on the building foundation was determined by field studies.