Damage to properties is unlikely to occur as a result of vibrations caused by traffic. Research undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory into the effects of ground-borne vibrations caused by road humps found that buildings would need to be located at least 1m from a road hump to avoid vibration exposure causing minor damage and at least 4m to avoid superficial cracks from sustained exposure.

Our duty as the Highway Authority, under Section 41 of The Highways Act 1980, is to maintain the highway so that it is free from danger to all users. We however have no duty to investigate traffic-induced noise and building vibration generated by road users.

Many structural problems are not related to the public highway but instead caused by other factors. In such cases, our advice is for homeowners or their insurers to consider commissioning a structural survey of their property.

If you are able to provide supporting engineering evidence that vibrations you are experiencing are a contributing factor due to the condition of the highway, please contact our Risk and Insurance Team.