The Design of Buildings for Very Low Levels of Vibration

Abstract

Acoustic Design Consultants (ADC) is acting as noise and vibration consultant to Laing Limited in the development of the new National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to replace the existing science facility at Teddington. The state of art buildings, consisting of 16 modules, house 3600m2 of scientific laboratories, many with a requirement for very low vibration levels to cater for sensitive metrology instrumentation. Each laboratory has a central core that is structurally separate from the outer building envelope. Acoustic Design’s consultancy advice has been used in the design of the laboratory buildings themselves, in the assessment of the sensitivity of metrology equipment to vibration and in the design of vibration isolation systems for the very sensitive scientific equipment. This article will discuss the ground vibration measurements made on site before the development started, and the analysis procedures and approaches used in the design of the buildings to ensure that the best possible vibration environments are achieved in the laboratories. The facilities are currently under construction, with completion scheduled for late 2001.