Comparison of Foundation Design Specifications for Vibratory Machines

Criteria for designing foundations for vibrating equipment come from published standards, recommended practices, internal company standards, and manufacturer requirements. The criteria from one source to another can vary significantly by including or omitting specific design recommendations or by providing different values for prescribed limitations. A comparison of amplitude criteria and several discussions of different practices and approaches can be found in ACI 351.3R, Foundations for Dynamic Equipment. With an update of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) report in progress, this paper provides updated comparative data between selected currently published and company specifications. Criterion topics include when a dynamic analysis is required, machine vibration limits, human vibration limits, resonant frequency range, geotechnical impedance calculation methods, and foundation sizing criteria. In addition, the background and merits of specific criteria are discussed in the paper to provide some insights on the development of criteria. The information herein provides a frame of reference for what design criteria are considered industry standard. Permissible amplitude figures are provided for users to compare with their proposed project specifications. Several recommendations for the development of project specifications are included. (C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.