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Updated: 30 September 2026

SiteHive Vibration: what it measures and how

The SiteHive Hexanode Vibration device measures ground vibration continuously on three axes and turns it into the numbers your project is assessed against: peak particle velocity for structural impact, vibration dose value for human comfort, RMS velocity in 1/3 octave bands for sensitive equipment, and an estimate of the ground-borne noise people hear indoors. This page covers what it records and where each measurement appears.

The SiteHive Hexanode Vibration device deployed on a solar stand.

What it measures

The device records raw vibration at high frequency on the X, Y and Z axes, and derives everything below from it. Nothing is collected by hand.

PPV (peak particle velocity) is the strongest ground movement in the period, reported on each axis and combined as vSum. It is the measure of structural impact. You will see it on the dashboard, in graphs, and in the PPV tab in Stats and analysis.

VDV (vibration dose value) is cumulative exposure over the day or the night, reported on each axis. It is the measure of human comfort. It appears in the VDV tab in Stats and analysis.

RMS velocity is measured across 1/3 octave bands from 1 Hz to 100 Hz. It tells you whether a VC curve is being met, which is the measure for sensitive equipment. It appears in the VC curve chart, a SiteHive Enviro Pro feature.

Ground-borne noise is reported in LAeq (dB). It is an estimate of what people hear indoors when vibration re-radiates as sound. Once it is enabled for a site, it appears on the dashboard and in graphs.

Frequency at peak velocity tells you which criterion applies under a standard such as DIN 4150-3. It appears in the detail of each event, and Smart Select uses it to pick events out.

Structural impact: PPV

Peak particle velocity is the headline number for damage risk to structures. The device reports the peak on each axis (X, Y and Z) and vSum, the combined velocity. The PPV tab in Stats and analysis shows the daily maximum per axis for any date range, and the data table exports vSum alongside the three peaks.

When a PPV threshold is exceeded, the device captures the waveform of that moment so you can see what happened, not just that something did.

Human comfort: VDV

Vibration dose value measures cumulative exposure rather than a single peak, which is what human comfort assessments are based on. It is reported per axis, and the VDV tab in Stats and analysis gives the maximum values for your selected period. Day and night are assessed separately, so an evening of piling and a quiet night do not average each other away.

Sensitive equipment: VC curves

Where a site sits near hospital theatres, research labs or precision manufacturing, the criterion is a Vibration Criterion curve rather than a single limit. The device measures RMS velocity across 1/3 octave bands from 1 Hz to 100 Hz and plots it against the curve you select.

VC-A sets an RMS velocity limit of 50 µm/s. It is the curve for standard laboratories and offices.

VC-B tightens the limit to 25 µm/s, for hospital operating theatres and sensitive labs.

VC-C tightens it again to 12.5 µm/s, for electron microscopes and research equipment.

SiteHive supports VC-A, VC-B and VC-C. Your project specification or environmental management plan will say which applies. Full detail, including alerts and CSV export of the band data, is in Vibration Criterion (VC) curves.

What people hear: ground-borne noise

Vibration travelling through the ground into a building can be heard indoors as a low rumble, even though it never travelled through the air. The device A-weights its vibration data, calculates vSum and converts it to an estimated ground-borne noise level in LAeq (dB), so you can monitor it from outside without putting microphones inside anyone's home. The method was built around the NSW Interim Construction Noise Guideline and validated on major projects. See Ground-borne noise.

Knowing what caused an exceedance

  • Waveform classification. Every PPV exceedance is captured as a waveform and labelled by AI as construction (orange) or non-construction (blue), including a knock on the device. You can open any waveform to see the X, Y and Z traces. Waveform classification: what caused the vibration

  • Smart Select. On the Events page, select a standard and criteria (for example DIN 4150-3, Sensitive) and every event whose frequency at peak velocity falls under the criteria is selected at once, so you can action them in bulk and review only what is left. Select events in bulk with Smart Select

  • Events. Each exceedance is logged with its timestamp, peak level and waveform detail, ready to investigate and explain. Events: investigate an exceedance

ℹ️ VC curve monitoring, waveform classification and Smart Select are SiteHive Enviro Pro features, and ground-borne noise is enabled per site. To turn any of them on, contact your Regional Success Manager or support@sitehive.com.

Alerts, graphs and reporting

What's next

Install your SiteHive Hexanode Vibration (the field procedure for deploying it on site)

Vibration Criterion (VC) curves (monitoring against VC-A, VC-B or VC-C)

Ground-borne noise (measuring what people hear indoors, from outside)

v1.12.0