Close-Proximity Demolition and Construction Vibration

When demolition and construction activities take place in very close proximity to vibration sensitive locations, the risk for damage and annoyance at those locations increases greatly. At such short distances, construction equipment which are not typically considered to generate high-vibration (such as backhoes and dump trucks) become critically important to the overall assessment of damage and annoyance risks. This paper analyzes two scenarios where such an assessment was useful: during the construction of a light rail track directly above an existing underground utility vault, and modifications to a rail yard where equipment operates as close as 5 feet from a residential complex. The paper also includes a list of reference vibration levels for a range of typical construction equipment pieces.