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Geodynamics and vibrations

Vibrations from railways, heavy transport, construction work and industrial and military activities are disturbing to many people, damage buildings and disrupt sensitive industrial production.

Waves and wind cause vibrations that have a negative effect on the safety and life of offshore platforms, windmills and other fixed structures.

Geodynamics is the discipline that tells us how vibrations and dynamic stresses act on soil and rock and how vibration waves propagate in such media. Geodynamics is the key to finding solutions to the problems caused by vibrations, and to using wave propagation to determine the properties of soils and rock that for instance can be used in exploration for and production of oil and gas.

NGI's state-of-the-art expertise

  • behaviour of soils and rock material when subjected to vibration and dynamic loading
  • sophisticated numerical analysis of vibration and wave propagation in soil and rock
  • instrumentation, measurement and analysis of vibration and waves in soil, rock and structures

Services related to geodynamics and vibrations

We have a broad professional environment with expertise in dynamics, geo-materials, acoustics, applied mathematics, numerical modelling, statistics, instrumentation, monitoring techniques and signal processing. This is a unique starting point for solving practical problems and carry out research and development in the area of vibrations and geodynamics.

It is important to include geodynamic expertice in early project phases. It will then often be possible to find simple measures that effectively prevent vibrations from becoming a problem. If vibration problems are only discovered later, remedial measures can easily become extensive, expensive and less effective.

In the oil and gas market, we work with the dynamics associated with platforms and other fixed installations.  This work includes special seismic methods for interpreting rock mechanical parameters, pressures and stresses in reservoir technology. We focus especially on utilising shear waves.  NGI has developed a seafloor shear wave vibrator. We are also involved in the development of innovative, dynamic monitoring systems for use in the oil and gas industry.

Research and development
We focus on:

  • influence of the ground on the transmission of low-frequency sound and vibration
  • sound-induced vibration in the ground and buildings - monitoring methods and remedial measures
  • the dynamics of high-speed railways - critical speed
  • mechanisms for generating low-frequency vibration from railways - measures on soft ground
  • determining pore pressure, effective stresses and rock mechanical properties in reservoir rocks from wave propagation measurements - especially with the aid of shear waves

We are involved in standardisation in the areas of vibration and geodynamics. NGI chaired the compilation of the Norwegian standard for vibration from land transport and their effect on people, NS8176, and the standard for the effect of vibration from blasting and construction activities on buildings, NS8141. This standard is now due to be revised and expanded. NGI is agian chairing the work, which it is planned will take place in collaboration with Swedish organs.

We also have leadership responsibility in the Standards Norway committee for vibration standards, and are a member of ISO TC108/SC2/WG8, which works with an entire series of standards related to groundborne vibrations and noise from rail trafffic. NGI has been on the board of the Scandinavian Vibration Association, SVIB, for a number of years.