Influence of Traffic-Induced Vibrations on Humans and Residential Building—A Case Study

Abstract

The case study presents an assessment of the traffic-induced vibrations on humans and residential buildings, which is important for sustainable development. The analyzed residential building had several cracks in the walls. Control gypsum tapes were applied to all cracks in the building and additional elements near the road to determine the propagation of the damage. To determine the harmfulness of vibrations for humans, vibration acceleration measurements linked to road traffic inside the analyzed building were carried out. The vibration velocities inside the object were set based on the integration of the obtained accelerations. The experimental field investigation was carried out in places where humans commonly stayed (on the first floor) at the points where the vibrations are transmitted from the construction to humans. The study involved a time history analysis, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis, and Root Mean Square (RMS) acceleration and velocity in a one-third octave bands spectrum. Based on the conducted experimental tests, it can be pointed out that the received velocity values in the tested building, caused by the passage of various vehicles, were below the permissible levels. However, it was noticed that the distance between the building and the fence had an important role in damping vibrations emitted by passing vehicles. The presented case study may be of use to other researchers who will be involved in similar cases and want to include sustainable infrastructure development.