Vibration and blast monitoring are conducted where ground vibration, as a result of construction or mining activities, may cause damage to nearby existing structures. Such construction activities may include deep dynamic compaction of soils, pile driving, or general construction activities. This technique monitors the energy resulting from construction or blast activities as expressed in units of soil peak particle velocity. This allows a comparison with known threshold levels above which damage to structures is known to occur. The survey includes recording field data with a specialized digital seismograph and geophone, and recording field notes detailing the events that may correspond to the construction or mining activity. These survey results are utilized to evaluate whether or not damage to nearby structures was caused by the observed ground vibration energy levels associated with the construction or mining activity.