Shaking table study of a brick veneer house subjected to blast vibrations

Abstract

This article reports on a unique shaking table test examining the performance of a single-room house to simulated blast vibrations. The unreinforced masonry veneer specimen that is constructed to represent typical Australian residential construction is subjected to a total of 564 blast vibrations increasing in peak component velocity from 1 to 383 mm/s. Damage thresholds in the masonry veneer are examined along with the damage–drift relationship with reference to standardised damage categories provided in Australian Standard 2870. Importantly, drifts recorded in the veneer at recommended vibration limits are found to be well below the lowest drifts needed to cause damage. The lowest threshold of damage in the masonry veneer occurred at a drift equal to 0.10% (1/960) at a peak component velocity of 148 mm/s, nearly 30 times the recommended environmental limit, demonstrating that current environmental limits are conservative with respect to damage potential for residential structures in good condition.