Comparative assessment of the whole-body vibration exposure under different car speed based on malaysian road profile

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate the Daily Exposure to Vibration A(8) and Vibration Dose Value (VDV) experienced by the car driver, with care taken to elucidate the effects of WBV on the human body and all at once to introduce a newly developed real-time WBV measurement instrumentation. Cars are one of the most important transportation worldwide. It plays a significant role for the human to travel from one place to the other places promptly. However, high magnitude Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) that can be associated with car may lead to various diseases and health problems, such as lower back pain, in humans. This study was conducted on a national car. The WBV exposure was measured for 10 min. Data was collected using an IEPE (ICP™) accelerometer sensor connected to a DT9837 device, capable of effectively measuring and analyzing the vibrations. The vibration results were displayed on a personal computer using a custom Graphical User Interface (GUI). MATLAB software was used to interpret the results and determine the WBV exposure level. The values of Daily Exposure to Vibration A(8) and the Vibration Dose Value (VDV) during one stretch of car travel were measured as 0.8778 and 3.8862 m sec-175, respectively. The results here confirm that WBV absorbed by the human body increases with an increase in the duration and magnitude of vibration exposure by the driver, illustrated by the increase in the value of Daily Exposure to Vibration A(8) and the calculated Vibration Dose Value (VDV). © 2010 Asian Network for Scientific Information.