Adaptive reuse to prevent vibration in older buildings

Adam Fox, Director at vibration isolation specialist Mason UK, explains the role that vibration engineering can play in adaptive reuse of buildings.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that buildings and construction together account for approximately 39% of global energy-related carbon dioxide for both operational and embodied emissions. One way of reducing the environmental impact of the built environment is adaptive reuse, which involves extending a building’s life and preserving embodied energy. Adaptive reuse means repurposing existing buildings for new functions, rather than demolishing and constructing new.

More than 60% of embodied carbon in a building is contained in the sub-structure, frame, upper floors and roof of a building. Most of these elements can be reused or repurposed, drastically reducing the upfront carbon cost in comparison with demolition. It also prevents the generation and disposal of an immense amount of waste materials and debris that contributes to pollution.

Moreover, repurposing existing structures contributes to the revitalisation of urban areas, reducing urban sprawl and the need for new infrastructure development. However, it also often creates a need for effective vibration control.

Buildings situated in built-up urban areas are often located in proximity to major sources of noise and vibration, such as train and tube lines. This is especially problematic for historic buildings, which were designed in a different era where modern acoustic engineering was neither available nor necessary.

It might seem that the need for effective vibration control rules out the possibility of adaptive reuse in some scenarios – for example, a historic building in proximity to a major tube or train line that developers might envisage as a luxury hotel, but with vibration from the train being transmitted into the building’s structure, the occupants would inevitably face an intolerable level of noise.

Case study: Cambridge House

Mason UK was faced with this scenario during the redevelopment of Cambridge House in London. The only way to make the building acoustically acceptable was to isolate the building on isolation bearings. Mason UK provided 450 6Hz rubber bearings, each one designed specifically for the project.

Following an iterative design process with architect PDP and structural engineer AKT II, the contractor, Deconstruct, formed two concrete beams in every basement wall, just above the foundation. The rubber bearings were inserted between the two concrete beams, using hydraulic jacks from specialists PHL to accurately transfer load from temporary supports. The result was a vibration-isolated building that allowed retention of its historic interior and a new use.

Adaptive reuse is a key strategy for helping to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. Although structural isolation is more common for new buildings, and certainly easier, it is not only possible for existing and historic buildings – it also makes adaptive reuse viable. The success of the structural isolation of Cambridge House, a Grade I listed building, is a clear demonstration of what is possible for the reuse of existing and historic structures. 

For more, visit mason-uk.co.uk

Image credit | MasonUK