What Is Vibration Monitoring

Vibration monitoring is the continuous measurement of motion in buildings, ground or machinery. It helps engineers, contractors, and plant operators understand risk, performance, and compliance.

In practice, vibration monitoring means measuring velocity or acceleration, tracking Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) and dominant frequency, and comparing the results with accepted limits or historical baselines.

  • In construction it protects buildings, utilities, and people during piling, demolition, and tunneling.
  • In industry it prevents costly failures in rotating machinery such as pumps, fans, and gearboxes.

Why Vibration Monitoring matters

  • Protect buildings and infrastructure : demonstrate compliance during construction projects by monitoring against DIN, BS, or SBR limits.
  • Prevent downtime in plants: detect imbalance, misalignment, or bearing defects before they lead to breakdowns.
  • provide auditable evidence : automatic time-stamped reports prove compliance and support claims or dispute resolution.

Key concepts you must know

  • Peak Particle Velocity (PPV): the primary metric for structural response and compliance tables. Dominant Frequency: building standards use frequency-dependent limits.
  • Tri-axial measurement: captures peaks in all directions for reliable results.
  • Real-time alerting: SMS and e-mail notifications enable immediate response when thresholds are exceeded.

Standards and Guidelines at a Glance

The following documents are most frequently cited in tenders and permits. Always apply the edition specified by your local authority.

Standard

Scope

Typical Use

DIN 4150-3

Effects of vibration on structures

European construction and traffic projects

BS 7385-2

Evaluation of vibration in buildings

UK building damage criteria

SBR-A/B

Human comfort and building damage Netherlands

Dutch projects near residents and sensitive buildings

ISO 4866

Vibration of buildings guidance

International methodological reference

Each standard defines limit curves linking PPV to frequency for different structure types or human exposure. Proper documentation with plots and event logs is essential for compliance.

How Vibration Monitoring Works

  1. Sensors. Geophones or MEMS accelerometers capture ground or structural motion.
  2. Data Acquisition. A logger calculates PPV and stores raw traces for significant events.
  3. Connectivity. LTE or 4G transmits results to a secure cloud portal.
  4. Reporting. Automated dashboards and reports compare measured values to the                                   selected standard.

Applications in Construction

  • Piling and vibrocompaction near existing buildings
  • Demolition next to heritage assets or sensitive assets
  • Tunneling and roadworks close to utilities
    Key requirement: continuous unattended monitoring with remote alerting and compliance reporting.

Industrial machinery use cases

  • Fans, pumps, motors, gearboxes and compressors
  • Early fault detection for imbalance, looseness, misalignment and bearing wear
  • Route-based measurements and permanent sensors feeding CMMS dashboard.

Vibra 5+ – Real-Time Wireless Vibration Monitoring

The Profound Vibra 5+ Solution

Looking for a practical way to implement vibration monitoring? The Profound Vibra 5+

is a proven wireless system for construction and demolition projects where accuracy and compliance are critical.

Key benefits of the Vibra 5+:

  • Wireless and autonomous operation with LTE/NB-IoT upload
  • Real-time SMS and e-mail notifications
  • Standards compliance: DIN 4150, DIN 45669, SBR-A/B
  • 24/7 cloud access via Profound Portal
  • Fast setup with plug-and-play deployment

 

With the Vibra 5+, contractors, consultants, and regulators gain a reliable tool to manage risks, demonstrate compliance, and prevent costly disputes.

Read more

Choosing the right setup

For construction compliance

  • Tri-axial ground sensor at the critical location
  • Logger with onboard battery for multi-day runtime
  • Thresholds aligned to DIN 4150-3 or local guidelines
  • Cloud portal for remote configuration and automatic reports

 

For machinery reliability

  • Sensors on bearing housings in orthogonal axes
  • Trending velocity and acceleration over time
  • Integration with maintenance CMMS for work orders

 

Typical Measurement Workflow

  • Define standard, limits, and exceedance rules.
  • Select measuring points and mount sensors securely.
  • Verify calibration and noise floor.
  • Start continuous logging with GPS time sync.
  • Review exceedances, export raw traces, and file reports.

 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

 

  • Using a single-axis sensor and missing directional peaks
  • Using sensors which are not performing accurately in low frequent range i.e. 1 to 30 Hz
  • Ignoring frequency dependence when setting thresholds
  • Failing to store raw traces for dispute resolution
  • Poor sensor coupling to the structure, underestimating PPV
What does PPV mean and why is it used for building protection

PPV (Peak Particle Velocity) is the most widely accepted metric for structural response. It links vibration levels to potential damage in standards like DIN 4150-3 and SBR-A.

DIN 4150-3 and SBR-A/B are most common in mainland Europe. BS 7385-2 applies in the UK. Always check project tender documents and permits.

No. Construction monitoring focuses on compliance with building standards, while industrial monitoring detects mechanical faults to prevent downtime.

Yes, if exceedances can cause risk, complaints, or claims. Alerts shorten response time and provide defensible, auditable records.