On the Influence of Trigger Level in Distribution Vibration Surveys

摘要

This paper follows on from recently published research that examined the effects of recording parameters on the outcomes of distribution vibration surveys. Whereas the previous research focused on the effects of the sampling period at which sub-records of the process are captured, this paper deals with another often-used recording parameter, namely, the vibration level trigger. The paper describes the development of a software tool that was designed specifically to study the influence of various sampling parameters on continuously recorded vibration data. This software tool was used to undertake a thorough statistical analysis on a vibration record set consisting of continuously sampled data measured from a wide variety of vehicle types and routes. The paper shows that the outcomes of vibration surveys are very sensitive to the trigger level and can produce highly distorted results by introducing a bias that nearly always overestimates the overall vibration levels. This is reflected in estimates of common descriptors of random vibration processes such as the average power spectral density (PSD), the peak-hold PSD and the overall root-mean-square values. The main outcome of this analysis is the formulation of a correction method based on relationships between the true mean and peak-hold PSDs and estimates from sampled data. The effect and significance of the proposed correction procedure is demonstrated, especially in the context of laboratory simulation of distribution vibrations. The paper concludes by making specific recommendations for configuring high-capacity field data recorders and applying correction strategies to ensure that vibration surveys yield statistically sound results.