Project Experience | Vibration Isolation
Vibrations are always present in real structures whether they are due to external dynamic loads such as traffic or by mechanical systems such as air conditioners. In some cases the vibrations can become intolerable to occupants or can be detrimental to the operation of other equipment or electronics. One solution for this type of problem is isolation of the vibration source from the receiver, or to isolate the receiver from the source.
Isolation can be done in various ways, but the overall intention is to separate the vibrating source from the structure that is transmitting the vibrations. Since, in most cases, the source must be somehow attached to the structure, typically a soft material with a low resonant frequency is used as a buffer. In cases where the material is not enough, resonant frequency can be lowered with the addition of supplementary mass, which is the essential concept behind an isolation base. An example of this sort of system is an AC unit mounted on the roof of a building. It is common practice to mount the unit on a frame that rests on springs. The springs are designed in such as way as to not transmit the problematic vibrations to the roof below. Isolation can be done for vibrations in all frequency ranges, from low frequencies that are perceptible only to the touch, to higher audible frequencies that are perceived as a noise problem.