Controlling Floor Vibration in Labs and Medical Spaces
Mohamed ElBatanouny, senior associate and unit manager, WJE
When designing or renovating laboratories and medical environments, floor vibration is often overshadowed by concerns like ventilation, layout, and energy use.
But for spaces that house sensitive imaging systems or precision instruments, even minimal vibration can disrupt operations.
“Floor Vibration and Sensitive Environments: Ensuring Performance in Lab and Medical Spaces,” a webinar presented by WJE experts Mohamed ElBatanouny, Christine Freisinger, and Richard Lindenberg, outlined how to proactively address floor vibration issues through strategic evaluation, modeling, and mitigation.
This presentation originally aired during Lab Design’s Flooring & Walls Digital Conference on June 26, 2025. Click here to view the video of this webinar, as well as the other three webinars in this series.
Whether you're planning new construction or repurposing an existing structure, understanding the specific vibration demands of your space can mean the difference between seamless operations and costly disruptions. By involving structural engineers early, clearly identifying equipment sensitivity, and treating vibration as a design priority rather than an afterthought, stakeholders can avoid project delays, prevent performance issues, and create environments where both people and precision tools can thrive.
The session emphasized a clear message: to ensure performance and comfort in sensitive spaces, design teams must account for vibration control early—and thoroughly. Below are the takeaways from this webinar.
Understand what makes these environments unique
Vibration sensitivity varies widely depending on the type of equipment or procedure being supported. A simple microscope, for example, may only require a floor vibration classification of VC-A (vibration criterion A), while more complex imaging systems or electron microscopes may demand VC-E or VC-F levels—corresponding to increasingly stringent vibration limits.
Lindenberg explained, “Labs are often multifunctional spaces. They may house both human researchers who care about comfort and scientific equipment that’s very sensitive to movement. So you might have a dual set of requirements.” Comfort thresholds and technical performance standards don’t always align, so balancing both is crucial .
Be aware of hidden risks in adaptive reuse projects
Christine Freisinger, associate principal, WJE
As more lab and medical facilities move into repurposed commercial or institutional buildings, inherited vibration issues can become a critical obstacle.
“Where you have to be very careful is with an existing building—especially in adaptive reuse projects,” said Freisinger. “The existing structural system may not be sufficient to accommodate the vibration criteria that you need. Even if the floor is structurally adequate from a strength perspective, it may be nowhere close from a vibration perspective.”
In one case shared during the session, a space was retrofitted for microscopy, only to discover that it met none of the necessary vibration standards. “Unfortunately, that’s not uncommon,” she said. “So many of our projects start after construction, or even after occupancy, when users say, ‘Hey, the equipment doesn’t work.’”
The lesson: assess vibration conditions early—ideally during the initial feasibility or planning phase—especially when retrofitting.
Know the criteria and how to measure it
Design teams often rely on vibration criteria charts like the VC (vibration criterion) curves developed by Colin Gordon or ISO 2631-2, which define acceptable floor vibration levels based on frequency and acceleration.
“Having a good understanding of what vibration level you’re designing to, and then matching that to the type of equipment or use case, is essential,” said ElBatanouny. These criteria are logarithmic, meaning small changes on the chart can reflect significant performance differences.
Vibration can be measured using accelerometers or velocity transducers placed on the floor, either during construction or post-occupancy. “You want a time history and frequency domain to really understand what’s causing the vibration and whether it’s transient or persistent,” ElBatanouny added.
Prioritize investigation and predictive modeling
Effective vibration design begins with thorough site investigations. For new construction, teams can use predictive models that simulate floor behavior based on structural properties and anticipated loading. For existing buildings, field measurements are key.
Freisinger emphasized that both modeling and testing have their place: “Testing gives you a snapshot of current conditions, but modeling can tell you what might happen when you add loads, or once construction is complete.”
In one example, her team conducted a pre-renovation study to assess whether a commercial structure could support imaging equipment. Modeling revealed that adding a certain number of bays with deeper beams would meet VC-D criteria. “That kind of study can help the owner make a ‘go or no-go’ decision before moving forward with design,” she said.
Explore mitigation strategies, ideally before construction
Once a floor fails to meet required vibration thresholds, remediation becomes more complicated. But several strategies can be employed:
Structural stiffening through deeper beams or closer beam spacing
Vibration isolation using spring mounts, inertia blocks, or damping pads
Mass addition, which can sometimes shift resonance frequencies out of sensitive ranges
Equipment-specific damping solutions, such as passive or active vibration isolators
ElBatanouny cautioned that while isolation systems can be very effective, “You don’t want to rely on them as your first solution. The best approach is to design the floor right in the first place.”
Lindenberg added: “The cost of retrofitting is always higher than addressing the issue early in design. Once equipment is in, your options narrow significantly.”
Collaborate early and keep asking questions
Richard Lindenberg, associate principal, WJE
A recurring theme throughout the session was the importance of early collaboration between structural engineers, architects, lab planners, and end users. Vibration mitigation is most successful when the team is aligned from the beginning.
“It’s really important to ask the right questions early on: What equipment will be used? Where is it going? How sensitive is it? Will it move later?” said Freisinger.
In lab and healthcare environments, equipment and procedures often evolve, so designing for flexibility is another key consideration.
Don’t wait until it’s too late
Floor vibration may not be top of mind during design, but ignoring it can derail performance—and even entire projects. “This isn’t a problem you want to discover after move-in,” said Lindenberg. “Whether you’re renovating or building new, vibration control needs to be part of the core conversation from the start.”
By integrating vibration criteria early, conducting targeted testing, and implementing mitigation strategies before construction, lab and medical projects can deliver the performance that sensitive instruments—and users—require.
“Floor Vibration and Sensitive Environments: Ensuring Performance in Lab and Medical Spaces” originally aired during Lab Design’s Flooring & Walls Digital Conference. To access this free webinar, and the other three webinars in this event, click here.
