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.
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.
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.
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. Vibration 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 help@sitehive.com.
Alerts, graphs and reporting
Alerts. Set thresholds per Monitoring Point and get an email or SMS when one is exceeded. Set up rules and notifications
Graphs. Plot vSum, X, Y and Z peaks over any date range, by parameter, Monitoring Point or device. Graph your data
Tables and export. Aggregated PPV and VDV tables with a CSV download, plus event-level exports. Stats and analysis and Export a CSV report
Calibration. Every deployment carries its calibration record and certificate. Assured calibration and certificates
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)