ISO 10137:2007

Overview

ISO 10137:2007 - Bases for design of structures: Serviceability of buildings and walkways against vibrations - provides internationally recognized recommendations for evaluating and controlling the serviceability of buildings and walkways subject to vibrations. The standard addresses vibration effects on three recipients: human occupants, building contents (equipment/processes), and the structural elements themselves. It excludes vehicular bridges and the design of machinery foundations. ISO 10137:2007 assumes linear structural response and focuses on serviceability (comfort and functional performance), not structural safety.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and recipients: Clear definition of applicability to buildings and walkways and the three vibration recipients (humans, contents, structure).
• Sources of dynamic actions: Detailed treatment of vibration sources such as machinery (rotating, reciprocating, impacting), vehicular traffic (road and rail), impulsive sources, human activity, wind and earthquakes.
• Transmission path and receivers: Guidance on how vibrations propagate and how receivers (occupants, equipment, structural elements) are affected.
• Evaluation methods:
  • Analytical calculation methods for predicting dynamic response, including damping considerations and propagation in continuous vs discrete media.
  • Measurement-based assessment, specifying quantities to measure, measurement apparatus and ranges, arrangement of measurement points, and reporting.
• Vibration criteria: Serviceability limit criteria for:
  • Human occupancy (including specific guidance for walkways and wind-induced motions),
  • Building contents (sensitive equipment and processes), and
  • Structural response (including impulses and empirical criteria).
• Vibration control and mitigation: Recommended approaches to control or mitigate unacceptable vibration levels; informative annexes provide mitigation methods and worked examples.
• Documentation: Requirements for measurement reports and analysis results.

Applications

ISO 10137:2007 is used to:

• Predict and limit occupant discomfort in offices, residential buildings, stadiums and pedestrian walkways.
• Ensure functional performance of vibration-sensitive laboratories, hospitals, precision manufacturing and data centers.
• Assess existing buildings for retrofit, and to specify vibration performance during design of lightweight/high-strength structures.
• Guide contractors and consultants when specifying measurement campaigns and interpreting results.

Who should use this standard

• Structural and civil engineers
• Vibration specialists and acoustical consultants
• Architects and building services engineers
• Facility managers and owners of vibration-sensitive installations
• Construction and retrofit project teams

Related standards

• ISO 2394 (serviceability limit states - referenced in introduction)
• Normative references included in the standard (e.g., ISO 2041, ISO 2372) for vibration terminology and measurement practice.

ISO 10137:2007 is a practical reference for designing and evaluating buildings to meet modern expectations for vibration comfort and functional performance.