Can Trains cause cracks in homes near RR Tracks?


Novice here wondering if living near Railroad Tracks, and the passing freight trains can cause cracks to foundations and interior walls in a home, or is the cause most likely the result of "Normal" settling and aging of a home or structure. Thanks, Tim in KY

Shallow Foundations Soil Mechanics / Geotechnical Analysis

Asked 18/10/2007 19:26, updated: 14/03/2017 14:07
Hazardclass

1 Answer

Votes: 1

Norfleet

NO, TRAIN (truck, streetcar, trolley, etc) VIBRATIONS CANNOT CAUSE CRACKING IN ANY TYPE OF CONCRETE (DRIVEWAYS, FOUNDATIONS, ETC). No, train vibrations do not cause cracking in houses (sheetrock, stucco, etc) that are more than 20 to 30 feet away from the tracks. However, train vibrations easily felt by people and can cause glasses to shift on shelves, pictures to shift on walls, and cause vibrations within a house that is easily felt. There is a very good manual on train vibrations issued by the US Dept of transportation (available on the web). The europeans have strict standards on train vibrations. These are designed to reduce human annoyance only. The level those standards require are orders of magnitude less than the level necessary to cause cosmetic damage to buildings.