The technical requirements for the determination of physical parameters of vibration isolating material have not been standardized in Europe and Poland yet, which significantly hinders the ability to compare vibration isolating materials offered on the market. Therefore, there is a need for establishing a norm that could be applied both for the determination of the physico-mechanical properties of elastic vibration isolation elements in rail transport for domestic and foreign producers as well as in their selection for application in a specific vibration isolation system. The paper presents a proposal to standardize the methodology of the estimation of vibration isolation materials physical parameters authorized for use in vibration isolation systems used in rail transport. Methodology for measuring the physico-mechanical parameters of vibration isolating material presented in the paper forms uniform test procedure developed based on a fragmentary norms for flexible materials testing. The use of the proposed research methodology enables the creation of a unified database of elastic materials which parameters will be easy to compare, and choice between them will become easier for designers of vibration isolation systems used in rail transport.

Before disassemble and demolition of five granulation towers the authors planned and carried out measurements of the intensity of vibrations induced during the fall of the dismantled components of towers on the ground. The main aim of the study was to determine the maximum permissible weight of falling elements of the towers during the demolition, in terms of ensuring the protection of buildings and equipment located in the vicinity of the works. It was unacceptable to increase the vibration amplitude displacement in each section of measurement on each of the three perpendicular axes by more than 2 μm peak-to-peak value and the absolute velocity of RMS of vibration amplitude couldn’t be increased by more than 1 mm/sec value than the background vibration during the demolition of the towers. Preliminary experimental studies were conducted on a test stand and the measurements were made on the real object. The amplitudes of vibration waves displacement and velocity were recorded on the measurement section in the direction of the protected building. The results of measurements were used to identify the propagation of the shock wave and the effectiveness of the proposed insulation layers.