Sheepsfoot roller vibrating nearby building

[Signious]

This isn't really a structural question, but about 10 minutes ago I noticed my monitor trying to walk around my desk.

Went out back and they are running a sheepsfoot out to compact the laneway now that a lot of the frost has come out. Anyone experienced anything like this before? It is just a 2 storey PEMB, seems excessive to me.

 

[msquared48]

Depends on your soil structure and the size of the machine. Not abnormal by my experience.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[Signious]

Yah, we sit on 'General Engineered Fill' which given the area I am sure means 'Shit we pulled out from the cut down the street'. Pretty tough silty clay till.

Went out and looked around, and the main slab for the building sits about 10ft past the building edge. Looks like he did a pass and had the roller on the slab for a bit. Thats what caused the big shake Im thinking.

 

[JStephen]

Long ago, I worked in an office that was maybe 100 yards from a railroad track.
One time, I happened to be outside when a unit coal train was going by, and felt rather noticeable vibrations. It felt to me like it was like sea waves coming in the rhythm of the passing cars. (I'm not sure if that says anything about the actual vibration or just my perception).
Never felt it in the building, never noticed it anywhere else around the RR tracks.
So I guess it had to be just the right soil and just the right train speed coming together.
That was also a track they didn't normally run unit coal trains on, too.

 

[Ron]

Sheepsfoot is necessary in that material...vibration is optional. Usually not enough vibration to cause much of an issue, but can certainly be annoying, particularly as they "walk out" of the clayey material by compacting until.

If it continues to annoy, tell them to turn the vibration off within 100 feet of your structure. If they don't cooperate, complain to the local building authority who will likely require that the contractor monitor the vibration levels during compaction.

You might want to do a complete exterior survey of your structure, noting any cracks or manifestations of distress...then do the same again after they finish.

 

[dicksewerrat]

The Bureau of Mines and some construction equipment manufacturers did some vibration testing years ago. That info may be available. Determined which frequency and amplitudes did damage to different materials.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[Ron]

Not that it matters much, but my 2nd sentence above did not complete....

it should be until....the "feet" of the drum are standing on top of the compacted material and not penetrating it.

 

[JAE]

Per Ron's comment about surveying your building - take lots of photos before and after. So many times I've had people tell me a crack was very new and cauased by the adjacent work...only to find old paint inside the crack. Before and after photos help prove your case.

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[DETstru]

We NEVER allow large vibratory equipment near existing structures. It's a disaster waiting to happen. Especially for the hospital work we usually do.