Abstract
The computer is now used in many kinds of building. When building contractors are constructing nearby, the vibration sensitivity of disk drives can be a problem.
If computers are of vital importance in a production process, the consequences of a possible break-down and information loss because of vibrations cannot be neglected or underestimated.
In this paper the information needed to judge the possible risks of damage in practice is discussed The information given by computer manufacturers is, in general, neither complete nor unequivocal.
Furthermore, results of vibration measurements in buildings are presented and discussed. Exposure to low frequency vibrations caused by different building activities such as demolition by means of pneumatic drills, driving in sheet piles and last, but not least, driving in piles made of concrete or steel using impact driving techniques are considered.
The most sensitive parts of a computer mainframe, the disk drives, in general produce more vibration themselves during read or write operations than that permitted by the computer manufacturer.
Although the vibrations caused by building activities are in most cases significantly lower than the computer limits, several cases of breakdown or information loss have occurred.
Who is responsible for computer damage?
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