Search for: All records

As one of the serviceability limit states of structural design, excessive vibration has attracted more attention in recent years, with the design trend moving toward lighter and more slender structures. Footfall vibration contains high uncertainties in nature, with significant variations in walker weight, walking speeds, and dynamic load factor. Since conservative designs can often lead to significant cost premiums, this study focuses on the stochastic assessment of footfall vibration of on a composite steel floor to better understand the variation in performance of various design factors and better inform the ultimate decision-makers. To close the knowledge gap between academia and industry in this area, San Francisco State University and the University of South Carolina partnered with Arup through an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. A composite steel structure was modeled to resemble a typical office bay. The model was developed and analyzed in Oasys GSA. Monte Carlo simulation was used to quantify the probability of exceeding certain common vibration criteria. The results of this study would provide actionable guidance to stakeholders to weigh the benefits and costs between performance targets.