Cyclic Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) as a new approach to investigate ground vibrations

ABSTRACT: Ground vibrations are measured in the field in terms of displacement, velocity, acceleration, or frequency. In 1960, the results of a pioneering work developed in Canada revealed that the parameter “peak velocity” was the best correlation between transient vibrations from blasting and damage to buildings. Since then, peak particle velocity (PPV) has been used in international guidelines as the limit to be followed in human-caused ground vibrations. Some of these guidelines, such as British Standards and Eurocode reduce the limiting PPV by 50% if the waves are generated from a source of continuous vibration, as opposed to transient vibration. In this research, field data of particle velocity from the installation of rockfill columns are presented. The installation used a vibrodriver with continuous waves. The PPV is identified and compared against the particle velocities from the full installation of rockfill columns. Results show that the vibration from the continuous source changes shape and propagates in the ground in a transient form. It also shows that PPV for this site was a single-event, and that continuous vibration could be better represented with the highest particle velocity to repeat at least three times. This approach herein named Cyclic PPV was introduced in the literature but has not been studied extensively.