Measurements and Evaluation of Road Traffic-Induced Micro-Vibration in a Workshop Equipped with Precision Instruments

Abstract

Road traffic transportation has flourished in the process of urbanization due to its advantages, but concurrently it generates harmful environmental vibrations. This vibration issue becomes particularly crucial in production workshops housing precision instruments. However, limited research has been undertaken on this matter. This study aimed to investigate the influence of road traffic-induced vibration on micro-vibrations within a workshop housing precision instruments. A field test was conducted to assess the vibration levels originating from both machinery operation and vehicular traffic. The results indicated that ground-borne vibrations caused by road vehicles decrease with increasing propagation distance, peaking around 10 Hz. Machinery operation vibrations were primarily concentrated above 20 Hz, while vehicular traffic vibrations were more prominent below 20 Hz. Notably, the passage of heavy trucks significantly impacted both ground and workshop vibrations, with vertical vibrations being particularly significant. Within the workshop, the second floor experienced higher vibrations above 20 Hz due to the presence of installed instruments. Importantly, the micro-vibration levels on both floors exceeded the VC-C limit (12.5 µm/s), highlighting the need to account for road traffic and machinery vibrations in workshop design. These data can be utilized to validate numerical models for predicting road traffic-induced vibrations, aiding in vibration assessment during road planning and design.