Full-scale long-term monitoring of mine-induced vibrations for soil-structure interaction research using dimensionless response spectra

This article presents the application of data from the real-time full-scale long-term monitoring of mine-induced vibrations in one of the mining districts in Poland in the study of the soil-structure interaction (SSI) effect. Mining-related surface vibrations constitute a burdensome and essential problem in mining areas all over the world because underground exploitation results in so-called induced seismicity with a negative vibration impact on the environment and may damage structures. Mining tremors are similar to natural earthquakes due to, for example, their randomness, lack of human control, time and place of their occurrence and energy magnitude. As a consequence of the SSI phenomenon, mine-induced vibrations concurrently measured on the free-field near to the building and at the building foundation level may differ significantly. Long-term measurements using dynamic tensometers permit the establishment of strength states in structural elements and the evaluation of the health of materials and structures. Long-term observations also indicate the development of damage over time and its propagation in the structure. Dimensionless response spectra (β) were applied for describing the seismic-type loads from mine-induced tremors – such spectra are found in many design codes. An evaluation of the influence of mining parameters (epicentral distance, energy magnitude, peak ground acceleration) on the process of the transition of ground accelerations to the structure foundations was performed using curves of ratios of β from vibrations recorded concurrently on the free-field and in the building foundation. The strong influence of the rockburst parameters on β curves achieved with the application of free-field and foundation mining-related records is observed. A similar conclusion applies to the ratios of β concerning low-, medium-, and high-rise buildings with different load-bearing systems. Furthermore, based on the results obtained from measurement data, empirical models for the simple estimation of the SSI effect were proposed.