Before you start your construction project, put some thought into whether you need to use a vibration monitoring system. Demolition work, heavy traffic, jackhammering, pile driving and foundation jobs can all create vibrations that could be harmful.

If you monitor your vibrations, then you can keep an eye on how your work impacts the local environment, other buildings and people in the area. How does this help?

1. Maintain and Prove Compliance

You might have to meet set vibration level regulations during your project. For example, your council might require you to keep vibrations below a certain level during working hours and at an even lower level during evenings and weekends.

If you set up a monitoring system, then you can check your vibration levels regularly and in real time. This makes it easier for you to meet regulations.

Plus, if you have a dispute, say if someone in a neighbouring building complains about your work during a weekend, then you can use your system reports to show your vibration levels at this time. They can help you prove compliance.

2. Avoid Damage to Surrounding Land and Buildings

While general vibration noise might not cause any damage, larger and more consistent vibrations can be more of a problem. For example, if you're demolishing buildings on your site, then the vibrations you make as you do this work might carry off your site and into neighbouring areas. They could cause some damage to land and other buildings.

Your engineer can evaluate safe vibration levels here. They can give you target levels above which vibrations and their noise might cause a problem. You can then use your monitoring system to keep an eye on your levels while you work. This makes it easier to stay inside safe parameters so that you don't create any collateral damage.

3. Keep Your Workers Safer

Excessive vibrations can also affect your workers' health. If a worker is subject to prolonged and intense vibrations, then they can develop problems with their muscles, nerves and joints.

You can use your monitoring system to help you control worker exposure to potentially harmful vibrations. For example, you can check when you need to give people breaks from this kind of work and find ways to reduce the levels of vibrations to which they are exposed.

For more information on your options, contact construction project vibration monitoring specialists. They can help you find the best monitoring solution for your project and site needs.