Vibration Isolation Standards & Guidelines – UK, EU and Germany
When resiliently mounting machines, plant and structures, various standards, guidelines and regulations play a role – for design, for material testing and for assessing vibration and noise. This overview briefly explains what each document covers and when it may become relevant for your project. Because we are based in Germany, the overview also includes the German standards often cited in specifications for European projects.
Note on limit and guide values
We only describe purpose and scope here. Please take limit, target and guide values from the current edition of the document concerned. We state in the quote which evidence is available for a specific product type.
Overview
| Standard / document | Subject | Relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| DIN 4150-2 | Vibration in buildings – effects on people in buildings (Germany) | Residential and office buildings next to machines, railway lines or construction sites; assessment of perceptible vibration |
| DIN 4150-3 | Vibration in buildings – effects on structures (Germany) | Protecting buildings and building elements from damage caused by vibration (e.g. presses, piling, traffic) |
| VDI 2062 Part 1 | Vibration isolation – concepts and methods (German guideline) | Principles of designing source and receiver isolation |
| VDI 2062 Part 2 | Vibration isolation – isolation elements (German guideline) | Selection and characteristics of elastomer, spring and air spring elements |
| VDI 3833 | Vibration dampers and dynamic vibration absorbers (German guideline) | Terms, types and design of dampers and absorbers, e.g. for resonance problems |
| EN 1299 (BS EN 1299) | Vibration isolation of machines – information for the application of source isolation | Information that machine manufacturers and operators should exchange for designing a machine mounting |
| ISO 815 | Elastomers – determination of compression set | Long-term behaviour and recovery of bearing materials under continuous load |
| ISO 7619 | Elastomers – determination of indentation hardness (including Shore A) | Material description and quality testing of elastomer sheets and pads |
| ISO 10846 | Laboratory methods for measuring the vibro-acoustic transfer properties of resilient elements | Determining the dynamic stiffness of bearing elements |
| TA Lärm | Technical Instructions on Noise Protection (German administrative regulation under the Federal Immission Control Act) | Noise from commercial plant affecting neighbours in Germany, including transmission within buildings |
| DIN 4109 | Sound insulation in buildings (Germany) | Requirements including noise from building services plant in noise-sensitive rooms |
| EN 45545-2 | Fire protection on railway vehicles – requirements for the fire behaviour of materials and components | Elastomer components in rail vehicles |
| VC curves (Vibration Criteria) | Industry-standard vibration criteria for sensitive equipment and rooms (not a formal standard) | Laboratories, cleanrooms, microscopy, metrology, semiconductor manufacturing |
| Classification rules in shipbuilding | Rules of classification societies (e.g. Lloyd’s Register, DNV) for ships and offshore installations | Mounts on board, machinery seatings, installation of units |
Short titles without edition dates; the edition agreed for the project or the current edition applies.
UK and Irish standards at a glance
For projects in the UK and Ireland, the following documents are most often referred to. As above, we only describe their purpose – please take any limit or guide values from the current edition.
| Standard / document | Subject | Relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| BS 6472-1 | Guide to evaluation of human exposure to vibration in buildings (1 Hz to 80 Hz) | Homes and offices next to plant, railways or industry; assessing perceptible vibration |
| BS 7385-2 | Evaluation and measurement for vibration in buildings – guide to damage levels from groundborne vibration | Protecting buildings from vibration damage (presses, piling, traffic) |
| BS 5228-2 | Code of practice for noise and vibration control on construction and open sites – vibration | Construction sites, piling, demolition |
| BS 4142 | Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound | Plant noise at neighbouring dwellings, e.g. heat pumps, chillers, compressors |
| BS 8233 | Guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings | Internal noise from building services in offices, homes and schools |
| Approved Document E | Resistance to the passage of sound (Building Regulations, England) | Sound insulation between dwellings and rooms |
| CIBSE Guide B4 | Noise and vibration control for building services systems | Design of plant isolation in building services |
| MCS 020(a) | MCS planning standard for permitted development installations of air source heat pumps | Noise assessment for domestic heat pumps |
| Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 | Occupational exposure to hand-arm and whole-body vibration | Workplace health and safety (not building vibration) |
| BS EN 1337-3 | Structural bearings – elastomeric bearings | Bridge and structural bearings |
| EN 17282 | Railway applications – infrastructure – under ballast mats | Under ballast mats in railway track |
| EPA NG4 (Ireland) | Guidance note on noise for EPA-licensed sites | Industrial noise assessments in Ireland |
Vibration in buildings: DIN 4150-2 and DIN 4150-3
The German DIN 4150 series deals with vibration in buildings. Part 2 describes how the effects of vibration on people in buildings are measured and assessed – for example in homes next to a production hall or a railway line – and so corresponds broadly in purpose to BS 6472-1 in the UK. Part 3 considers the effects on the building fabric and is used to assess whether vibration can cause damage to buildings or building elements (comparable in purpose to BS 7385-2). Both parts become relevant mainly for presses, punches, heavy machinery and construction projects next to transport routes – see Buildings & foundations and Railway & transport.
Designing machine mountings: VDI 2062, VDI 3833 and EN 1299
VDI 2062 Part 1 explains terms and methods of vibration isolation, such as natural frequency, frequency ratio and isolation efficiency, as well as the distinction between source and receiver isolation. Part 2 describes the common isolation elements – from elastomer bearings to steel springs and air springs – and their characteristics.
VDI 3833 deals with vibration dampers and dynamic vibration absorbers. It becomes relevant when a component or machine goes into resonance and the vibration needs to be specifically damped or absorbed. EN 1299 specifies what information should be provided for the application of source isolation – such as masses, centre of gravity position, excitation frequencies and forces. The standard is a good checklist for exchanging data between machine manufacturer, designer and bearing supplier.
Material testing: ISO 815, ISO 7619 and ISO 10846
These standards describe test methods for elastomers and resilient elements. ISO 815 covers the determination of compression set, i.e. the permanent deformation after a defined compressive load. The value gives an indication of long-term behaviour under continuous load. ISO 7619 describes the measurement of indentation hardness, e.g. Shore A hardness.
ISO 10846 comprises laboratory methods for measuring the dynamic stiffness of resilient elements. With elastomers in particular, dynamic stiffness differs from static stiffness – so it is important for an accurate prediction of isolation performance. Which test values are available for a particular material can be found in the datasheet of the product type named in the quote; an overview of the materials is given under Materials & technical data.
Noise in Germany: TA Lärm and DIN 4109
TA Lärm is an administrative regulation under the German Federal Immission Control Act. It governs the determination and assessment of noise from commercial and industrial plant affecting neighbours – including noise transmission within buildings; in the UK, BS 4142 plays a comparable role. DIN 4109 sets requirements for sound insulation in buildings, including noise from building services plant such as ventilation units, pumps or lifts (in England, compare Approved Document E and BS 8233). A resilient mounting reduces structure-borne noise transmission and can thus help meet the requirements; it does not replace measures against the airborne noise of the plant itself. More under HVAC & heat pumps.
Fire protection in rail vehicles: EN 45545-2
EN 45545-2 defines requirements for the fire behaviour of materials and components in rail vehicles. The requirements are graded according to the operating conditions and design of the vehicle. Whether evidence to EN 45545-2 is available for a particular material depends on the type – we state the evidence in the quote. Other standards apply to bearings in track and building applications (e.g. EN 17282 for under ballast mats); background information can be found under Railway & transport.
Laboratories and precision equipment: VC curves
The VC curves (Vibration Criteria, VC-A to VC-E and finer) are internationally used vibration criteria for rooms with sensitive equipment such as microscopes, measuring machines or lithography systems. They are not a formal standard but are frequently used in design briefs for laboratories, cleanrooms and research buildings. The equipment manufacturer also often specifies permissible vibration values at the installation site. Which curve applies is usually set by the designer or equipment manufacturer – see also Laboratories & research.
Shipbuilding and offshore: classification society rules
Ships and offshore installations are built and surveyed according to the rules of a classification society. These rules include requirements for machinery seatings, the installation of units and, where applicable, the approval of individual components. Whether a type approval or a project-specific acceptance is required for a mount depends on the class, installation location and component. We clarify in the quote whether corresponding evidence is available for a product type. More under Shipbuilding & offshore.
What evidence is available for your project?
Not every standard is relevant to every project, and not every product type has undergone the same tests. We state in the quote which evidence is available for a specific product type – such as a datasheet with characteristic curves, test reports or approvals. When you send your enquiry, please let us know which standards are required in your specification or design.
Frequently asked questions
Which British Standard covers vibration in buildings?
In the UK, BS 6472-1 covers the evaluation of human exposure to vibration in buildings (1 Hz to 80 Hz) and BS 7385-2 the assessment of vibration with regard to building damage; BS 5228-2 applies to vibration from construction sites. In Germany, the DIN 4150 series covers the same topics (Part 2 people in buildings, Part 3 building fabric). Please take the guide values from the current edition of the standard. Background on the resilient support of foundations can be found under Buildings & foundations.
Which standards help with designing a machine mounting?
VDI 2062 describes principles and terms (Part 1 methods, Part 2 isolation elements); in the UK, CIBSE Guide B4 is widely used for building services plant. EN 1299 lists the information needed for source isolation, e.g. mass, centre of gravity position and excitation frequencies. Our isolation calculator provides a first estimate.
What evidence is available for your anti-vibration mats?
That depends on the product type. We state in the quote which evidence – such as a datasheet with characteristic curves, test reports or approvals – is available for a specific type. Please tell us the standards required in your project in your quick quote.
Why don’t you give limit values on this page?
Limit and guide values depend on the edition, area type, use and measurement method and are laid down in the documents themselves. A shortened summary could lead to wrong conclusions. Please refer to the current edition; our glossary explains the terms.
Standards in your specification? Talk to us
Tell us the required standards, weight, footprint and speed – we will check which product type suits and what evidence is available for it.
Read more: Materials & technical data · Isolation calculator · Standards & guidelines · Glossary · FAQ · Downloads