‘The whole flat was vibrating’ - Edinburgh homeowners fear ‘intolerable’ tremors from tram works machinery could threaten building’s structure

David Dible, who lives in Gayfield Place, said he was forced to endure nearly two hours of “intolerable” vibrations on Tuesday morning from a large roller machine outside his block which was shaking the “whole foundations of the building” and his flat.

The 64-year-old fears persistent vibrations could end up causing structural damage to the grade-A listed building in which he lives.

Mr Dible, who lives in a third floor flat and is struggling to work from home due to the rumbling, shared video footage taken this afternoon of the machine and, in one clip, some water inside a glass in his home appears to move as the vibrations continue in the background.

He said: “This orange machine suddenly started working this morning at 8am and it’s an enormous piece of equipment.

“My wife said her desk was moving. I could feel the whole flat vibrating. It was incredulous this morning and, if they keep doing this, the structural integrity of the building might be threatened.

“I could feel everything in the building vibrating and a neighbour downstairs thought there was some kind of problem too.”

Mr Dible, who works in the biotech industry, added: “The building is from the 1800s and is A-listed and can not be rebuilt.

“I worry if they are going to keep doing it - they can not keep running that machine up and down the road. You can not have a building of this age being subjected to this level of vibration on a continued basis.”

An Edinburgh City Council spokesperson confirmed the machine concerned is a vibrating roller and is being used to prepare the ground for the main tram infrastructure works.

The current work will be complete this week though there will be additional work on the other side of the road in a few weeks, which should last approximately a week.

The council spokesperson said: “Works are being carried out in line with the project's Code of Construction Practice which stipulates maximum vibration limits to protect buildings and other structures from physical damage.

"Vibration levels are regularly monitored by a qualified practitioner who notifies the Council to take action if these are exceeded.”

Surveys were undertaken of the buildings directly adjacent to the working areas in accordance with the Code of Construction Practice.

Mr Dible suggested the need for contractors and the council to think about the overall level of vibrations over time as well as maximum vibration levels.

The Trams to Newhaven team has received an inquiry on the matter from Mr Dible.

Work on the tramline to Newhaven restarted in the summer after being stopped at the end of March due to the Covid pandemic.

The £207 million Trams to Newhaven project is expected to be finished in early 2023.

The scheme will add nearly three miles of track in both directions, connecting Leith and Newhaven to the current end of the tram line at York Place, with eight new stops.

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