Ground-borne noise and vibration transmitted from subway networks to multi-storey reinforced concrete buildings

Abstract

During the operation of urban subway rail transit systems, vibrations are generated that transmitted through the soil, induce vibrations in nearby buildings. The transmission of ground-borne vibrations from subway rail transit systems in a building is governed by the soil-foundation interaction, the reduction of vibration level between floors, and the amplification due to resonances of building elements. These are influenced by the type of the building, its construction materials, the foundation soil, and the frequency content of the excitation. A methodology is proposed for the determination of the sound vibration along the height of the building for a specific construction type, demonstrating how the attenuation and amplification parameters can be calculated. For this particular building type, a notable amplification of the vibration due to floor and other structural resonances was found, whereas the vibration and hence the radiated noise levels are similar from the first floor up. An overall building amplification factor is proposed, taking into account all the above mentioned transmission mechanisms.