Vibration testing and evaluation for source detection of bothersome structural vibrations

Walter P. Moore and Associates, Diagnostics Group, Houston, Texas, United States of America

^a Corresponding author: mpavelchak@walterpmoore.com

Abstract

Buildings are subjected to a myriad of vibration excitation sources including mechanical systems, human activity, vehicular traffic, and other environmental conditions. The characteristics (amplitude and frequency) of the excitation from these sources can vary significantly overtime as building use patterns change, systems age, and maintenance activities vary. Overtime many building owners/operators find themselves dealing with vibration complaints which arise unexpectedly and without obvious cause. The complexity of many modern facilities can make pinpointing the source of bothersome vibrations equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack. The objective of this paper is to explore the process of vibration source detection in complex existing facilities through three recent case studies. The vibration testing and evaluation methodologies utilized for source detection on these case studies is explored to highlight challenges faced on these types of projects. Each of the case studies involve existing buildings with many years of successful operation before bothersome vibration events were reported. The case studies presented, explore complaints related to sensitive medical equipment as well as human perception of vibrations.