BLASTING VIBRATION LIMITS TO PREVENT HUMAN ANNOYANCE REMARKS FROM SOME CASE STUDIES

Abstract

Human response to blast vibrations is an important problem for mine and construction managers. On many occasions, people residing in the vicinity of a blasting operation become so annoyed that they resort to drastic means in order to halt the project, especially when it lasts for a long time. Hence, a vibration control study, performed in mines, quarries or other construction activities, should provide an answer to the following basic question: "What is the allowable limit of peak particle velocity (PPV) caused by blasting in the area?". In many projects located in urban areas the vibration thresholds should be based more on human response than on the probability of structural damage or harmful effects. The human response, however, depends on several natural factors and population characteristics unrelated to the vibration intensity and frequency. A set of the most important factors affecting human behaviour towards blasting events, deduced from several case studies, is presented in this paper. These factors should be taken into consideration when determining the specific vibration level for a particular project.