Review and Analysis of the Vibration Assessment Procedures Advocated by the Railway Association of Canada

Abstract

In the absence of government regulations, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) espouse criteria for the assessment of vibration due to passing trains. Given that many municipalities follow these guidelines when considering the permitting of residential development, the effectiveness of the RAC vibration assessment methods are worth investigating. These include a limit of 0.14 mm/s RMS on amplitudes and a 75 m screening distance for triggering a detailed study of the impacts of railway vibration on developments in proximity to tracks. This paper provides a review of the criteria for their reasonableness at avoiding unwanted and/or undesirable vibration conditions for residential developments. This is accomplished through reference to the generic vibration propagation curves within the latest US Federal Railway/Transit Administrations noise and vibration guidelines and alternative parametric equations for estimating vibration propagation.