Vibration and Noise Monitoring

Abstract

Vibration and noise are among the most information-rich by-products of mining. Every blast, haul truck pass, crusher start-up, pump cycle, rockfall impact, and conveyor idler defect leaves a distinctive mechanical and acoustic fingerprint. This chapter develops a practical and scientific framework for monitoring vibration and noise in modern mines, with emphasis on (i) blast-induced ground vibration and airblast overpressure, (ii) occupational noise-and-vibration exposure (hearing conservation, wholebody vibration, handarm vibration), (iii) environmental/community noise, and (iv) asset health and geotechnical hazard detection using vibration/acoustic signatures. This chapter connects measurement physics, instrumentation, standards and compliance criteria, monitoring network design, and Mining 4.0 analytics (IoT architectures, edge computing, AI/ML, and digital twins). The intent is to help practitioners design monitoring systems that are technically defensible, auditable, and operationally useful, turning nuisance signals into actionable intelligence.