BHP Laboratories is the largest independent testing company in Ireland providing a wide range of engineering & scientific measuring, testing and analysing services to numerous industries throughout Ireland and the UK. BHP Laboratories provides a comprehensive Vibration Monitoring service. Our services include the monitoring and control of vibration for commercial and industrial facilities, construction projects and more.

We provide vibration measurements and surveys, vibration consulting services, vibration studies and assessments and testing services. Whatever your vibration-related issue, we can help. Our technicians are certified to carry out the measurements by the Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre in the UK and have extensive experience across a range of sectors.

We provide these services with a fleet of fully equipped vehicles and field operatives covering all of Ireland.

• Operational Vibration Monitoring: Routine vibration surveys as stipulated under planning license or operational conditions by local authorities. BHP complete all aspects of the work at the specific times required – day, evening, night.
• Construction Vibration Monitoring: On site set up and monitoring during specific works to demonstrate compliance with maximum vibration limits. This work will normally involve a baseline survey for a full day or week to assess vibration variation followed by compliance testing during the project.
• Hire of Noise Meters: Similar to construction vibration monitoring undertaken by BHP’s environmental technicians, we also provide a service of hiring vibration monitors on a daily or weekly basis. This involves an initial site visit to install/set-up and train the end-user and the reports associated with the surveys completed. We can set up monitors with trigger levels so that relevant stakeholders are notified when vibration values exceed limits.
• Standards: Vibration from construction, transport, or industry can lead to many significant issues. The following standards help to assess and manage this:
  • BS 5228: 2009 +A1 2014: Code of practice for noise and vibration control on construction and open sites – Part 2: Vibration.
  • ISO 1996-1:2016 “Acoustics – Description, measurement and assessment of environmental noise Part 1: Basic Quantities and assessment Procedures”.
  • BS 7385 – “Evaluation and measurement for vibration in buildings – Part 2: Guide to damage levels from ground borne vibration” (1993).

The recognised criteria for assessment of vibration impacts is peak particle velocity, which is measured in three orthogonal directions transverse, vertical and longitudinal (x,y and z axes) this measured in millimetres per second (mm/s).

Common applications for the use of vibration monitoring in construction include the following activities:

• Standard Piling or Sheet Piling works
• Blasting large quantities of natural rock
• Rock breaking
• Blasting in quarries