Emerging research on vibration serviceability assessment of pedestrian structures

Abstract

Despite an increasing number of reported vibration serviceability problems caused by pedestrians walking on newly built footbridges, floors, and staircases around the world, there is still a lack of adequate codes of practice. There are three key issues that a new generation of relevant design guidelines should urgently address: (1) the absence of a universal model that accounts for the entire energy spectrum of walking loading as well as inter-and intra-subject variability of individual walking forces; (2) the effect of human bodies on the dynamic properties of a structure; and (3) pedestrian "intelligent" interaction with the surrounding people and environment. This article provides a brief overview of the relevant state-of-the-art research that has great potential to change this unsatisfactory state of affairs.