Measurement and prediction of traffic-induced vibrations in a heritage building

The paper describes measurements of road traffic-induced vibrations in a heritage building in Naples. The measurements have been related to vehicle type and speed and have been compared with values obtained by a modified prediction model. Analysis of results showed that the ISO 2631 [1] perception threshold for peak particle velocity (PPV) (0.14 mm/s) was exceeded for all acquired data, and in some cases the vibration level exceeded the lowest damage PPV threshold found in literature (1 mm/s) [2]. In some cases the Swiss Standard threshold [3] (1.5 mm/s) for particularly sensitive buildings was also exceeded. The prediction model was developed by modifying an existing model initially developed to predict vibrations due only to localized surface irregularities (bumps). The novel feature in this study is that the road roughness parameter in the model has been characterized by the root mean square (r.m.s.) value of the surface wavelengths that drive the natural frequencies of wheel hop and body bounce of heavy vehicle suspensions. This also allows vibration of longitudinally distributed irregularities (roughness) typical of stone block road pavements to be predicted and should potentially be of practical use in identifying high-exposure sites in sensitive heritage areas. (C) 2001 Academic Press.