Control of traffic-induced vibration in buildings using vehicle suspension systems

Various corrective measures are usually suggested for reducing the levels of traffic-induced vibrations in buildings, e.g. road rehabilitation, speed control, soil improvement, the use of building isolation systems, etc. Although some of these measures are effective, they are in most cases difficult to implement and/or expensive. In view of recent measurements of vibration levels at several sites in Montreal, it appears feasible to significantly reduce vibration induced by transit buses (the cause of the majority of traffic vibration complaints in that city) by modifying the characteristics of their suspension systems. Modifications would be made to achieve either a small axle hop amplitude or an axle hop frequency that is below the lowest site cutoff frequency in the city. In addition to these results, a description of test vehicles, field tests, and measurement and analysis procedures are presented. Published by Elsevier Science Limited.