Citation

Bergen T, Nelson JT, Watry DL. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2013; 134(5): 4103.

Affiliation

Wilson, Ihrig & Associates, Inc., 15719 165th Pl. NE, Woodinville, WA 98072tbergen@wiai.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Institute of Physics)

DOI

10.1121/1.4831059

PMID

24181391

Abstract

Groundborne noise and vibration produced by rail transit tunnel construction activities was studied recently in Seattle, Washington. Recent and ongoing tunneling is accomplished with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and associated supply trains. Vibration produced by construction activities in the tunnels 30 to 40 m below the surface propagated efficiently through the soil in the Seattle area. The local geology consists largely of "overconsolidated glacial till" that is very stiff. The study revealed that the supply trains traveling over rail joints was the dominant source of ground vibration, and the re-radiated groundborne noise in numerous homes above the tunnels was audible. The noise was effectively mitigated by patching and smoothing out the rail joints, and supporting the ties on natural rubber pads.

Language: en