Comparison of Foundation Design Specifications For Vibratory Machines
Comparison of Foundation Design Specifications For Vibratory Machines
Comparison of Foundation Design Specifications For Vibratory Machines
Vibratory Machines
William L. Bounds, M.ASCE1; and Silky S. K. Wong, M.ASCE2
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Abstract: Criteria for designing foundations for vibrating equipment come from published standards, recommended practices, inter-
nal 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 foun-
dation 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 recom-
mendations for the development of project specifications are included. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0000284. © 2016
American Society of Civil Engineers.
Author keywords: Machine foundations; Dynamic analysis; Soil impedance; Specifications; Structural design criteria; Vibration;
Frequency; Amplitude; Block foundation; Tabletop structure.
Fig. 1. Machine vibration charts (reprinted from ACI 351.3R-94, with permission): (a) Blake chart; (b) Baxter and Bernhart chart (Note: 1 mil = 1
thousandth of an inch)
5. Geotechnical impedance limitations: Many company specifica- Soil contact pressure or pile load limits are often provided to
tions and practices limit the magnitude of damping that can be avoid a nonlinear response resulting from higher strain effects (Fig.
used in a design calculation. This is because many general- 4). This criterion appears to be judgmental, and the stated criteria
purpose calculation methods tend to overestimate damping can vary widely from one specification to another.
with respect to field-measured values. Limits are described as The design criterion topics are described further for each document
either a fixed maximum damping ratio or as a fraction of the according to the following categories: general references, published
computed damping value. specifications, company standards, and manufacturer's criteria.
6. Foundation sizing: Criteria such as the mass ratio (ratio of
machine and foundation mass to machine mass), ratio of eleva-
tion machine to foundation width, and ratio of machine length General References
to mat length are often included. These are basically rules of
thumb to arrive at a first approximation prior to a dynamic anal- General references consist of published papers and textbooks that dis-
ysis. Some company specifications indicate that this type of cri- cuss general principles and guidelines. These documents are not writ-
terion as mandatory. ten in specification-type mandatory language. Some references pro-
The ratio of foundation mat width to thickness is commonly pro- vide alternative calculation procedures. Occasionally, one of these
vided to verify mat rigidity. This is because most soil or pile imped- documents is invoked through a mandatory statement in a specification.
ance calculation methods are based on the simplified assumption of Design of Structures and Foundations for Vibrating Machines
a rigid mat. (Arya et al. 1979) is a widely used book that provides
Fig. 1. (Continued.)
procedures and equations for the design of rigid block and flex- are legally adopted in the countries where they were written.
ible tabletop-type foundations. Criteria for trial sizing are pro- A number of machine type–specific specifications are also
vided in Chapter 5. available.
Dynamics of Bases and Foundations (Barkan 1962) is the basis
for several published design specifications. The book provides pro- API RP 686: Recommended Practice for Machinery
cedures and equations for the design of soil- or pile-supported foun- Installation and Installation Design (API 2009)
dations. The described procedure is considered to be empirical, and
pile impedance procedures do not incorporate interaction effects. This recommended practice covers a wide range of aspects related
Foundation Engineering Handbook (Fang 1991), Chapter 15, to soil-supported reciprocating and rotating machines, and applies
provides the general concepts behind dynamic design for founda- if invoked in another specification. Chapter 4 covers foundation
tions and applied geotechnical engineering for the practicing engi- requirements. Specific statements are mostly in mandatory lan-
neer. Emphasis is on the determination of soil impedance. guage; however, most provisions are generically stated. For exam-
Foundations for Dynamic Equipment [ACI 351.3R (ACI 2004)] ple, Section 4.2 states that “Machinery that requires an elevated in-
provides discussions on the general concepts behind dynamic analy- stallation may be supported on structural steel of adequate strength
sis and design procedures. As of the time of publication of this paper, and stiffness.”
an update to this report is currently under review. Fig. 3.11 from the 1. When needed—A dynamic analysis is required for reciprocat-
report (Fig. 5) provides a comparison of permissible amplitudes ing machines greater than 200 hp (150 kW) and for all special-
from several sources, including four company practices. The inten- purpose equipment supported on tabletop structures.
tion of the figure is to show how permissible amplitudes can vary. 2. Machine vibration limit—Criterion is not provided.
The report update of Fig. 3.11 provided the motivation for this paper. 3. Human vibration limit—Criterion is not provided.
4. Resonant range—The natural frequency to be avoided is 0.8–
1.2 times the machine speed. If this criterion cannot be met, the
Published Specifications recommended practice states that the purchaser and vendor
should agree upon an acceptable vibration amplitude.
Several published specifications are described in this section. 5. Geotechnical impedance—No specific method or damping
The descriptions provided are summary level, because of the in- adjustments are provided.
herent complexity of the provisions, with a concentration on 6. Foundation sizing—Soil-bearing pressure is not to exceed 75%
reciprocating and rotating machines. Some of these specifications of the allowable value. Lateral eccentricity, between center of
Fig. 2. Reiher–Meister chart (reprinted from ACI 351.3R-94, with permission) (Note: 1 mil = 1 thousandth of an inch)
Fig. 4. Nonlinear effect on single pile response resulting from loading (reprinted from El-Marsafawi 1992, © ASCE)
Fig. 5. Permissible amplitude comparison (reprinted from ACI 351.3R-94, with permission) (Note: 1 mil = 1 thousandth of an inch)
CP 2012-1: Code of Practice for Foundations for factor is to be applied. The safety factor is generally consid-
Machinery (British Standards Institute 1974) ered to be 1.5.
The British specification is described as Part 1 covering reciprocat- 3. Human vibration limit—Criterion is provided as indicated by
ing machines. There is no Part 2 for centrifugal machines. the people line in Fig. 7. In addition, a safety factor is to be
1. When needed—Criterion is not provided. applied. The safety factor is generally considered to be 1.5.
2. Machine vibration limit—Criterion is provided as indicated 4. Resonant range—For important installations, the range is 0.5–
by the machine/buildings line in Fig. 7. In addition, a safety 2.0. For lesser important installations, the limit is 0.6–1.5 times
last value applies to 600 rpm and above. With fixed amplitude impedance. The procedures are based on Barkan (1962). Pile
values for higher-speed reciprocating machines, the stated val- interaction effects are not included.
ues should be used with caution. Fig. 8 illustrates machine 6. Foundation sizing—Provisions are provided for foundation
response limits for rotating and reciprocating machines. bolt dimensioning. Foundation eccentricity limit is stated as
3. Human vibration limit—Criterion is not provided. 3–5%, depending on the ground's resistance. A number of sit-
4. Resonant range—Criterion is not provided. uation-specific recommendations are also provided.
5. Geotechnical impedance—Prescriptive frequency-independent
procedures are provided for the determination of soil and pile
impedance. The procedures are based on Barkan (1962). Pile IS 2974: Indian Standard Code of Practice for Design and
interaction effects are not included. Construction of Machine Foundations (Bureau of Indian
6. Foundation sizing—A soil pressure limit is provided based on Standards 1979, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1992)
the ground's resistance and several condition factors. The foun- This Indian specification is adopted in India and consists of five
dation eccentricity limit is stated as 3–5%, depending on the parts covering various machine types, including reciprocating,
ground's resistance. A number of situation-specific recommen- rotating, and impact.
dations are also provided. 1. When needed—Criterion is not provided.
2. Machine vibration limit—For reciprocating machines, dis-
GB 50040: Code of Design of Dynamic Machine placement limits are the same as those found in CP 2012-1,
Foundations (State Bureau of Technology Supervision except that safety factors are not described. For rotary
and Ministry of Construction 1996) machines, the criterion is provided only up to 1,500 rpm. Fig.
10 illustrates machine response limits for rotating and recipro-
This specification is adopted in China and covers a variety of
dynamic machine types, including reciprocating, rotating, crushers, cating machines, as well as human vibration limit.
mill foundations, and forging presses.
Company Standards
Fig. 11. Company vibration limits (Note: recip = reciprocal; 1 mil = 1 Manufacturer’s Criteria
thousandth of an inch)
The manufacturer's criteria are usually provided in the form of notes
on submittal drawings. Such criteria always supersede any project-
issued specification. The importance of adhering to the manufacturer
References