Method for protecting an object to be protected against traffic-induced vibration

Abstract

A method and system for protecting an object to be protected against vibration induced by traffic and transmitted from a roadway ( 2 ) via the ground. The object to be protected ( 1 ), such as a building, is protected against the vibration induced by traffic and transmitted from a roadway ( 2 ) via the ground using an insulator wall ( 3 ), which has been driven into the ground at a distance from the roadway substantially in parallel with the roadway between the roadway and the object to be protected to damp vibration. The insulator wall ( 3 ) has been installed with respect to the vertical direction at an inclined angle (α) so that the insulator wall is slanting downward at the aforesaid angle (α) and away from the roadway ( 1 ) to direct the vibration obliquely downward, the insulator wall ( 3 ) both damping and directing the vibration into the direction determined by the insulator wall.

1 . A method for protecting an object to be protected ( 1 ), such as a building, from vibration induced by traffic and transmitted from a roadway ( 2 ) via the ground, in which method an insulator wall ( 3 ), which is substantially parallel with respect to the roadway, is driven into the ground at a distance from the roadway between it and the object to be protected to damp vibration, characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) is installed so as to be at an inclined angle α so that the insulator wall is slanting downward at the aforesaid angle α and away from the roadway ( 2 ) to direct the vibration obliquely downward, the insulator wall both damping and directing the vibration into the direction determined by the insulator wall.  
   
   
       2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) is installed with respect to the horizontal direction so as to be at an angle (α), which is 10°≦α≦60°, preferably about 45°.  
   
   
       3 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , characterised in that the depth (L) of the insulator wall ( 3 ) below ground level is adjusted to be about 5 m.  
   
   
       4 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , characterised in that a noise barrier ( 4 ) is attached to the insulator wall ( 3 ) to damp the noise transmitted from the roadway ( 1 ) via the air, the insulator wall ( 2 ) thus acting as a foundation for the noise barrier ( 4 ).  
   
   
       5 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , characterised in that a number of wall elements ( 5 ) are driven into the ground and attached to one another side by side in line to form a uniform insulator wall ( 3 ).  
   
   
       6 . The method as defined in  claim 4 , characterised in that the wall elements ( 5 ) are driven one by one into the ground at the aforesaid angle (α).  
   
   
       7 . The method as defined in  claim 6 , characterised in that soil material is removed from above the wall elements ( 5 ) that were driven into ground to expose the side surface ( 6 ); a soft insulator layer ( 7 ), for example an air cushion, a layer of cellular plastic, of light gravel or the like, is placed against the side surface in engagement therewith; and the excavation is filled to cover the formed insulator wall ( 3 ) formed together by the wall elements ( 5 ) and the insulator layer ( 7 ).  
   
   
       8 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , characterised in that an excavation groove ( 8 ) is formed in the ground having a peripheral wall ( 9 ) disposed at the aforesaid angle (α) and facing the roadway ( 1 ); the insulator wall ( 3 ) is placed on top of the peripheral wall; the insulator layer ( 7 ) is placed on top of the wall elements ( 5 ); and the excavation groove is filled.  
   
   
       9 . The method as defined in  claim 5 , characterised in that the rails of a railway serve as the roadway, and that 
 a) a railway wagon ( 10 ) is arranged acting as an intermediate storage of the wall elements ( 5 ) and/or the insulator layer material in the work site,    b) a working machine ( 11 ) is arranged which is equipped with an articulated boom arm ( 12 ) having at the end thereof a quick clamping device ( 13 ) for removable fastening of a tool ( 14 ,  15 ), which working machine is arranged to be movable under the control of the railway rails,    c) a gripping and jolting apparatus ( 14 ) and a bucket ( 15 ) are arranged to act as the tools for the working machine ( 11 );    d) the railway wagon ( 10 ) and the working machine ( 11 ) are transferred to the work site;    e) the gripping and jolting apparatus ( 14 ) is attached to the quick clamping device of the articulated boom arm;    f) the gripping and jolting apparatus ( 14 ) is used to grasp the wall element ( 5 );    g) a number of wall elements ( 5 ) are driven side by side one after the other into the ground at the aforesaid angle (α);    h) soil material is removed from above the wall elements ( 5 ) that were driven into the ground;    i) a soft insulator layer ( 7 ) such as an air cushion, a layer of light gravel or the like is placed against the side surface ( 6 ) of the wall elements; and    j) the insulator wall ( 3 ) formed by the wall elements ( 5 ) driven into the ground and the insulator layer ( 7 ) is filled with soil material.    
   
   
       10 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , characterised in that after step j) the wall elements are removed from inside the ground, and just the insulator layer ( 7 ), acting as the insulator wall ( 3 ) alone, is left inside the ground.  
   
   
       11 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , characterised in that after step j) a noise barrier ( 4 ) is attached to the wall elements ( 5 ).  
   
   
       12 . A system for protecting an object to be protected ( 1 ), such as a building, from vibration induced by traffic and transmitted from a roadway ( 2 ) via the ground, which system includes an insulator wall ( 3 ), which is driven into the ground at a distance from the roadway substantially in parallel with respect to the roadway between the roadway and the object to be protected to damp vibration, characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) is with respect to the vertical direction at an inclined angle α so that the insulator wall is slanting downward at the aforesaid angle α and away from the roadway ( 1 ) to direct the vibration obliquely downward, the insulator wall ( 3 ) both damping and directing the vibration into the direction determined by the insulator wall.  
   
   
       13 . The system as defined in  claim 12;  characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) is with respect to the horizontal direction at an angle (αa), which is 10°≦α≦60°, preferably about 45°.  
   
   
       14 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that the depth (L) of the insulator wall ( 3 ) below ground level is about 5 m.  
   
   
       15 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that a noise barrier ( 4 ) is attached to the insulator wall ( 3 ) to damp the noise transmitted from the roadway ( 1 ) via the air, the insulator wall ( 3 ) thus acting as a foundation for the noise barrier ( 4 ).  
   
   
       16 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) includes a number of wall elements ( 5 ) that have been attached to one another side by side in line to form a uniform insulator wall.  
   
   
       17 . The system as defined in  claim 16 , characterised in that the wall element ( 5 ) is a profile sheet element having at the edges thereof connecting members ( 16 ) for connecting similar profile sheet elements consecutively to one another.  
   
   
       18 . The system as defined in  claim 16 , characterised in that the wall element ( 5 ) is a so-called sheet pile profile element.  
   
   
       19 . The system as defined in  claim 16 , characterised in that the wall element ( 5 ) is a box formed from a profile sheet element and a sheet ( 20 ) attached to the open flank of the profile sheet element.  
   
   
       20 . The system as defined in  claim 16 , characterised in that the wall element ( 5 ) refers to a predetermined number of tubes ( 24 ) that have been attached to one another by means of connecting members ( 25 ) as a series of no less than two interlocked tubes.  
   
   
       21 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that the box/tubes have been filled with concrete, soil material and/or some other medium.  
   
   
       22 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that the wall element ( 5 ) has at the lower end thereof a tip part ( 22 ).  
   
   
       23 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) includes steel, concrete and/or plastic.  
   
   
       24 . The system as defined in  claim 12 , characterised in that the insulator wall ( 3 ) includes an insulator layer ( 7 ) of substantially soft material, arranged against that side surface ( 6 ) of the wall elements ( 5 ) which is facing the building to be protected.  
   
   
       25 . The system as defined in  claim 18 , characterised in that the insulator layer ( 7 ) is an air cushion, a layer of cellular plastic and/or of light gravel.  
   
   
       26 . The use of a system as defined in  claim 12  for protecting buildings close to railways and highways against ground vibration.