In-plane Wave Propagation in Buildings

When structural vibration measurements are made it is usually bending wave motion that is measured and compared with theoretical predictions. However, in-plane motion is also important for transmission through buildings, particularly if this occurs over large distances and involves transmission across many joints. In this paper a simple procedure for measuring in-plane motion is reviewed and used to study in-plane vibration transmission through a building. It is found that the technique can be used at lower frequencies but that interference associated with bending waves will usually limit its application at high frequencies unless the in-plane vibration is very high. The measured vibration agrees well with the results predicted using a statistical energy analysis model. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.