Monitoring and assessment of vibration during construction of athens metro extention to piraeus

Abstract

Environmental standards for the quality of life and safety of workers constitute a rigorous frame which should be respected during construction works of metro tracks. Monitoring techniques constitute a powerful tool to respect environmental legislation with the help of appropriate sensors, which permit to relate the received noise with characteristics of the stratified layers of both the soil and the buildings. Indeed, the construction of the Athens metro extension to Piraeus integrates state-of-the-art technology and the most demanding standards concerning both quality and operation, rendering it, thus, one of the most modern metro systems in the whole of Europe and ensuring the protection of the built urban environment. The new extension network concerns Line 3 metro extension to the western suburbs. The elaboration of an extensive Environmental Monitoring Programme as part of the "Required Pertinent Monitoring DesignsProgrammes" of the project specifications for the "Design, construction and commissioning of Athens metro extension to Piraeus' was enforced in order to ensure the protection and minimization of annoyance from worksite operation in the network. In the case of each construction site for the closest sensitive receptors, Environmental Noise Leq indices were monitored by state-of-the art continuous monitoring stations. Furthermore, Vibration Acceleration in time domain and Vibration velocity were also measured. PPV values for all vibration recordings were calculated as well as rms weighted acceleration and VDV values, following the Fourier analysis for the vibration velocity recordings according to DIN 4150, and then compared with enforced environmental permissible levels. The paper concludes with the relevant assessment of this monitoring program with emphasis on sensitive receptors, such as archaeological areas and sensitive land uses.