Empirical, Experimental and Numerical Prediction of Ground-Borne Vibrations Induced by Impact Pile Driving

Abstract

The automatization of construction activities, which aims to reduce the time and cost of constructions, makes impact pile driving an interesting technique. However, these activities in urban areas can generate excessive vibrations and interfere with people and structures in the vicinity. With that in mind, predicting the expected vibration levels during the project design stage is essential. Different methodologies can be employed in this task, from empirical approaches to detailed and complex numerical formulations. This paper intends to present an overview of the empirical methods and the main physics of the problem from a numerical point of view. The results obtained are then compared with experimental vibration data reported in the literature in order to discuss the adequacy of empirical and numerical methodologies in predicting ground-borne vibrations induced by impact pile driving.