Experimental analysis of walking induced vibrations in composite floor and performance evaluation considering human confort

Abstract

NBR 8800 was updated in the year of 2008. Acceptance criteria of vibrations on floor performance considering human comfort were simplified and only minimum values of fundamental frequency are considered for performance evaluation. The objective of this article is to evaluate a methodology of experimental analysis of footfall-induced vibrations in steel and composite system floors and footbridges in order to check the human comfort conditions. The methodology was established according to international standard recommendations and international design guides. In order to present its applicability, it was applied to four case studies. The spectrum processing provided the values of natural frequency, damping ratio and peak acceleration. All the floors presented values of fundamental frequency greater than the minimum values recommended by NBR 8800. However, the obtained peak acceleration for some cases presented values greater than the maximum value recommended by international criteria. Therefore, the simplified acceptance criteria proposed by NBR 8800 were insufficient for performance assessment of some system floors and footbridges.