Experimental analysis of the traffic‐induced‐vibration on an ancient lodge

Abstract

Summary Traffic‐induced vibration is one of the main causes of small (often only cosmetic) damages for Heritage buildings. The heavy public road‐transport, often very close to these structures, may lead to fatigue phenomena due to induced continuous vibrations and consequently damages. Even if all the International Standards agree to define the velocity—expressed in terms of Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) or Peak Particle Component Velocity (PCPV)—as reference damage indicator, a standard procedure for calculating those values starting from accelerometers data is indeed absent (or needs to be better specified). This paper—taking into account that in most cases velocities cannot be directly measured—first compares the efficiency of two of the most common employed methods: the trapezoidal rule and the long Discrete Fourier Transform. This comparison is performed discussing the experimental activity performed on the SS. Annunziata's lodge in Florence (Italy) which is particularly exposed to traffic‐induced vibrations. Subsequently, a systematic analysis of the traffic‐induced vibration phenomenon was performed based on (i) dynamic identification by means of accelerometers data; (ii) calculation of the velocities (PPV and PCPV); (iii) analysis of the traffic component effects; and (iv) analysis of the Structure‐Soil Interaction (SSI) by using results obtained by means of Falling Weight Tests (FWT). Eventually, a comparison with the results of a previous dynamic test campaign performed in 1994 is reported, underlining a consistent increase of the traffic‐induced vibrations on the lodge possibly caused by the increase of the road unevenness.

A unified approach to compare active vibration control performances and its application in a museal context

“…The characteristics of the test signals used as a disturbance source are selected from previous measurements found in the literature [9,10] or recorded by the authors. Since the spectral content of the sources ranges from 10 Hz to 370 Hz, and the cutoff frequency of the actuator is around 70 Hz, the frequency band of interest is chosen to be 70-370 Hz.…”

Human-Induced Vibrations on Museum Artefacts: Literature Review and Calculation Example

“…Understanding the factors that contribute to vibrations in a building is crucial. As investigated by Zini et al [14], vibrations within a building result from the interaction of three factors: (i) the type of vibration source, (ii) the soil-structure interaction (in case of external sources such as traffic) and (iii) the structural typology and its current health status. In simpler terms, vibrations originate from a source, spread through the soil and, at the end, reach a building.…”

Influence of Traffic-Induced Vibrations on Humans and Residential Building—A Case Study

“…A big challenge for scientists and engineers is to analyze the data obtained from the measurements. A common practice in scientific works is the use of filters (noise leveling, one-third octave band spectrum analysis) to emphasize particular effects of vibration [30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. It should be added that almost every case requires an individual approach due to somewhat various soil and environmental conditions, and above all, various types of buildings and a different source of vibrations.…”