ABSTRACT
In Australia and other parts of the world where there is open-cut mining close to residential structures, there are often concerns that blast vibrations may cause damage to houses. While there are normally strict regulatory limits on both ground vibrations and air blast, there is often confusion whether these imposed limits are for human comfort or mitigation of damage. Furthermore, residents and mine operators may be concerned about the consequences of exceeding such limits. In part, the uncertainty and concerns are due to lack of information about the performance limits of non-structural materials such as plasterboard and brick veneer which are used in typical house construction.
This paper represents results from an ongoing study on the response of light-framed residential structures to mine-induced ground vibrations. In this research an experimental program was undertaken to evaluate the basic material properties of plasterboard which is the most common interior lining material in Australian houses. In addition, full-scale lined walls incorporating various types of openings were tested under racking loads to determine the crack initiation and propagation characteristics. In addition, relationships between wall drifts and crack lengths are presented for static unidirectional as well as cyclic loading. These results are not only useful for evaluating the structural response of houses to blast vibrations, but also to other environmental loads such as foundation and thermal movements.
