Acoustic Response of Structures to Blasting Analyzed Against Comfort Levels of Residents Near Surface Coal Operations

摘要

Blast vibrations induce sounds within neighboring residences. A house wide vibration and sound monitoring system was installed in a West Virginia home which was subjected to blasts at varied distances and direction. Eighty-five blast events were monitored and analyzed. Fifteen channels of data were collected including three triaxial geophones, one airblast microphone, one uniaxial geophone mounted to the inside wall of the house (response channel), and four microphones that recorded CD quality sound waves inside the house. Each of these channels was recorded on the same time scale. The response channel signal was easily separated into ground vibration and airblast induced movement due to the differences in their times of arrival. This response channel was then compared to the sounds recorded to determine which component of blast vibration induced the maximum sound response. Blasts at distances less than 762 meters (2,500 feet) had maximum sound responses from both ground vibration and airblast. While for blasts beyond 762 meters (2,500 feet), the maximum sound response was caused by ground vibration without exception. When airblast was identified as the dominant sound generator, the peak amplitude of the sound was directly related to the amplitude of airblast. When ground vibration was identified as the dominant sound generator, the peak amplitude of sound was not related to the amplitude of ground vibration.