Prognose und Bewertung von Bauwerkserschütterungen infolge Tiefbauarbeiten

Prediction and assessment of building vibrations due to ground works

In ground works hammer strokes or vibrations often act on the subsoil. This generates vibration waves which propagate through the subsoil and are transferred to adjacent buildings. The questions, which vibration intensities originate in buildings dependent on the intensity of the ground work, the distance to the building, the subsoil conditions and the building features and whether building damages have to be expected, are of immense practical relevance. In the paper, basic relationships are explained and empirical prediction approaches for different types of ground works (vibratory and impact driving, vibratory compaction, deep vibro compaction) are presented, which make the estimation of peak particle velocities in the ground below or directly at footings possible. The transfer of vibrations inside a building, i.e. from the footings to walls or floor slabs, is also considered. By comparison of predicted values with indicative values given in DIN 4150-3, vibrations can be assessed with regard to potential damages. Complementary, the estimation of settlements due to ground vibrations is dealt with. The presented approaches enable the determination of required or recommendable minimum distances of a ground work device from existing buildings.