Groundborne Noise - A Practical Guide - Measurement, Prediction, Assessment, Mitigation

Jul 31, 2026

Groundborne Noise provides a structured, engineer-focused framework for understanding, measuring, predicting, assessing, and mitigating noise transmitted through ground and solid media. It explains sources, transmission pathways into supporting media, resulting wave types, and propagation through soil, rock, and interconnected structures. It also covers how groundborne vibration couples into receiving structures and re-radiates as audible sound in rooms and spaces, with practical technical depth and clear logical presentation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages227

Reading Time9 h 32 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Introduction

Sources of groundborne noise

Wave propagation

Receivers of groundborne noise

Wave types in structures

Soil dynamic properties

Power flow

Conversion of groundborne vibration into audible sound

Measurement of groundborne noise

Prediction of groundborne noise

Mitigation of excessive groundborne noise

Uncertainty

Assessment criteria

Glossary

Index

Groundborne Noise This book is for practitioners in the measurement, prediction, assessment and mitigation of groundborne noise, as well as acoustics engineering students. It explains the sources of groundborne noise, how they transmit into the medium supporting them (or in which they are embedded), the range of wave types that result, how they are propagated through all the different forms of soil, rock or building structures that connect them to receptors, and how the vibration that is groundborne noise is transmitted into receiving structures, to be re-radiated as an acoustical phenomenon in rooms and other spaces. It is clear, readable and logical, with enough technical detail for an engineer without being needlessly complex. Groundborne Noise Rupert Thornely-Taylor Designed cover image: Image courtesy of the author First edition published 2027 by CRC Press 2385 NW Executive Center Drive, Suite 320, Boca Raton FL 33431 and by CRC Press 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RNCRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC © 2027 Rupert Thornely-Taylor The right of Rupert Thornely-Taylor to be identiﬁed as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 . Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microﬁlming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, access www. [copyright.com](copyright.com) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400 . For works that are not available on CCC please contact [mpkbookspermissions@tandf.co.uk](mpkbookspermissions@tandf.co.uk) For Product Safety Concerns and Information please contact our EU representative [GPSR@taylorandfrancis.com. Taylor & Francis](GPSR@taylorandfrancis.com. Taylor & Francis) Verlag GmbH, Kauﬁngerstraße 24, 80331 Mu€nchen, Germany. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are used only for identiﬁcation and explanation without intent to infringe. ISBN: 978-1-041-01997-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-041-02328-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-61877-5 (ebk) DOI: 10.1201/9781003618775 Typeset in Sabon by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive) Contents Preface vi A note on the author viii 1 Introduction 1 2 Sources of groundborne noise 9 3 Wave propagation 30 4 Receivers of groundborne noise 58 5 Wave types in structures 74 6 Soil dynamic properties 87 7 Power ﬂow 110 8 Conversion of groundborne vibration into audible sound 117 9 Measurement of groundborne noise 129 10 Prediction of groundborne noise 140 11 Mitigation of excessive groundborne noise 152 12 Uncertainty 182 13 Assessment criteria 190 Glossary 210 Index 216 Preface There is a large body of literature on the subject of airborne acoustics, but a phenomenon that results in airborne sound in limited but important circumstances is not well documented, namely groundborne noise. This is sound, or noise, that is perceived by the sense of hearing, but which reaches the air in which the audible

FAQs

What is groundborne noise, and how does it reach the air to become audible?

Groundborne noise is vibration from an acoustic-frequency source transmitted through the ground or other solid media, including structures. It reaches the air in the hearing environment by coupling into receiving structures and re-radiating as audible sound in spaces.

Which topics does the book cover for engineering practice?

It covers identifying groundborne noise sources, wave propagation through soil/rock/structures, receiver and structural wave behavior, soil dynamic properties, power flow, measurement methods, prediction, and mitigation of excessive levels.

Why is uncertainty important when predicting or assessing groundborne noise?

The book includes a dedicated section on uncertainty, addressing the nontrivial complexity of wave motion in solid media and the limits of simple guidance. This supports more reliable assessment criteria and professional decision-making.

Jul 31, 2026

Upload by Clementine