Basement-construction-vibration-guideline

Table 6: Recommended working buffer distances for vibration intensive equipment

 Equipment                       Buffer distances in metres for different vibration
                                 limits for sensitive receptor buildings
 Piling (impact)                 81
 Concrete saw                    6
 Jackhammer                      6
 Excavator                       17
 CFA (continuous flight          2
 auger)
 Small hydraulic                 18
 hammer
 Medium hydraulic                45
 hammer
 Large hydraulic                 108
 hammer
 Impact sheet piling             93
 Vibratory sheet piling          137
 Piling (bored)                  9


The majority of the buildings surrounding basement construction are likely residential properties located
between three and six metres from the construction. Based on the proximity of the construction activities,
methods of construction are likely to be limited to bored piling or use of CFA, with impact and vibratory sheet
piling and normal impact piling highly unlikely to comply with limits of this guideline at these distances.

At a distance of three metres, bored piling would have a vibration level of approximately 4 mm/s, while CFA
would have a vibration level of less than 1 mm/s. It is recommended that builders avoid impact piling and use
alternative piling methods such as bored or CFA piling instead of impact piling.


4.5       Vibration monitoring
Vibration monitoring to verify compliance with the approved vibration management plan will be required unless:

      1. The buffer distances provided in Table 6 are exceeded; or
      2. The values in Table 3 can be shown by engineering calculation not to exceed the expected vibration at
         the receptor building taking into account:
            i   Ground hardness (based on geotechnical reports of the ground in the relevant construction
                areas).
            ii Measured vibration data of the exact equipment proposed to be used.
            iii Shortest distance between vibration intensive works and the nearest sensitive buildings,
                especially for piling (except for bored), vibratory rolling, rock-breaking/tunnelling and excavation
                works.

Details of the vibration monitoring to be available to the City’s Development Compliance officers on request.




 CONSTRUCTION VIBRATION MANAGMENT GUIDELINE (A45139253)                                          Page 10 of 13