• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.467-478
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• 2019

Composite floor structures formed by continuous slab panels may be susceptible to excessive vibrations, even when properly designed in terms of ultimate limit state criteria. This is due to the inherent vibration characteristics of continuous floor slabs composed by precast orthotropic reinforced concrete panels supported by steel beams. These floor structures display close spaced multimode vibration frequencies and this dynamic characteristic results in a non-trivial vibration problem. Structural stiffening and/or insertion of struts between floors are the usual tentative solution applied to existing vibrating floor structures. Such structural alterations are in general expensive and unsuitable. In this paper, this vibration problem is analyzed on the basis of results obtained from experimental measurements in typical composite floors and their theoretical counterpart obtained with computational modeling simulations. A passive control system composed by multiple synchronized dynamic attenuators (MSDA) was designed and installed in these floor structures and its efficiency was evaluated both experimentally and through numerical simulations. The results obtained from experimental tests of the continuous slab panels under human walking dynamic action proved the effectiveness of this control system in reducing vibrations amplitudes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.543-568
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• 2013

This study explores the floor micro-vibrations induced by the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in liquid-crystal-display (LCD) factories. The relationships between moving loads and both the vehicle weights and speeds were constructed by a modified Kanai-Tajimi (MKT) power spectral density (PSD) function whose best-fitting parameters were obtained through a regression analysis by using experimental acceleration responses of a small-scale three-span continuous beam model obtained in the laboratory. The AGV induced floor micro-vibrations under various AGV weights and speeds were then assessed by the proposed regressional MKT model. Simulation results indicate that the maximum floor micro-vibrations of the target LCD factory fall within the VC-B and VC-C levels when AGV moves at a lower speed of 1.0 m/s, while they may exceed the acceptable VC-B level when AGV moves at a higher speed of 1.5 m/s. The simulated floor micro-vibration levels are comparable to those of typical LCD factories induced by AGVs moving normally at a speed between 1.0 m/s and 2.0 m/s. Therefore, the numerical algorithm that integrates a simplified sub-structural multi-span continuous beam model and a proposed regressional MKT moving force model can provide a satisfactory prediction of AGV-induced floor micro-vibrations in LCD factories, if proper parameters of the MKT moving force model are adopted.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.731-740
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• 2014

Occupants induced floor vertical vibrations may cause other occupant's annoyance and lead to social loss. To help control such floor vibrations, several criteria have been developed mostly based on human perception tests and floor vibration tests. Floor vibration is evaluated by comparison with criteria and vibration parameters of subject floor, such as frequency, damping ratio, acceleration value, vibration duration time and occurrence frequency. Three acceleration value parameters are used in criteria; peak acceleration, rms acceleration and VDV, when a floor vibration serviceability is evaluated. Meanwhile rms acceleration and peak acceleration are adopted as vibration limit value in criteria and researches of human perception for vibration. Occupants induced floor vibration is transient rather than steady state. However, rms acceleration is not reliable parameter for evaluating transient vibration. The objective of this study is to investigate the characters of human perception level according to acceleration value parameters for vibration induced by heel impacts and walking activities.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.3
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• pp.283-294
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• 2022

An inerter is a passive mechanical element whose inertance can be thousands of times its own physical mass. This paper discusses the application of an inerter-based passive control system, termed rotational inertial double-tuned mass damper (RIDTMD), to mitigate human-induced floor vibrations. First, the acceleration frequency response function of the floor with an RIDTMD is first derived. It is then employed to determine the optimal design parameters of the RIDTMD using the extended fixed-points technique. Based on a theoretical analysis, design-oriented empirical functions are proposed for the RIDTMD optimal parameters, whose performance for floor vibration control is evaluated by numerical examples, in which three typical human-induced load types are considered: walking, jumping, and bouncing. The results indicate that the applicability and effectiveness of the RIDTMD for human-induced floor vibration control are robust for various load types, load frequencies, and floor natural frequencies. For the same mass ratio, the RIDTMD is better than the TMD in reducing the floor vibration amplitude and improving the effective frequency suppression bandwidth, and for the same vibration suppression effect, the mass of the RIDTMD is much lighter than that of the TMD.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.35-41
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• 2004

Many buildings have been bolt in Korea. Because blasting operations and more efficient to make excavate rock than other methods, it's more extensively used for new construction, enlargement of buildings, subway work, etc. However, blasting vibrations and sound often create pollution. A study, 'The place of gathering earth and sand to construct a building site in Yangsan', has been done in Gyo-dong, in Yangsan. There are two high-rise apartment and buildings, beside a construction site. The blasting vibrations and sound were monitored on the 1st, 4th floors in building(4th floor), and the results of the analysis are as follows: The blasting vibrations decreased being transmited from 1st floor to 4th floor.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.139-155
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• 2012

Serviceability rather than strength is the most critical design requirement for vibration-vulnerable floor constructions. Annoying vibrations due to normal walking activity have been observed more frequently on long-span lightweight floor systems in office and commercial retail buildings, raising the need for the development of floor vibration design procedures. This paper highlights some limitations of one of the most commonly used guidelines AISC/CISC DG11, and proposes improvements to this method. Design charts and approximate closed form formulas to estimate the walking response are developed in which various factors relating to the dynamic characteristics of both the floor and the excitation are considered. The accuracy of the proposed formulas and other proposals found in the literature is examined. The proposed modifications would be significant, especially with long-span floors where vibration levels may be underestimated by the current design procedure. The application of the proposed prediction method is illustrated by worked examples that reveal a good agreement with results obtained from finite element analyses and experiments. The presented work would enhance the accuracy and maintain the simplicity and convenience of the design guideline.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2012

Occupant footfalls are often the most critical source of floor vibration on upper floors of buildings. Floor motions can degrade the performance of imaging equipment, disrupt sensitive research equipment, and cause discomfort for the occupants. It is essential that low-vibration environments be provided for functionality of sensitive spaces on floors above grade. This requires a sufficiently stiff and massive floor structure that effectively resists the forces exerted from user traffic. Over the past 25 years, generic vibration limits have been developed, which provide frequency dependent sensitivities for wide classes of equipment, and are used extensively in lab design for healthcare and research facilities. The same basis for these curves can be used to quantify acceptable limits of vibration for human comfort, depending on the intended occupancy of the space. When available, manufacturer's vibration criteria for sensitive equipment are expressed in units of acceleration, velocity or displacement and can be specified as zero-to-peak, peak-to-peak, or root-mean-square (rms) with varying frequency ranges and resolutions. Several approaches to prediction of floor vibrations are currently applied in practice. Each method is traceable to fundamental structural dynamics, differing only in the level of complexity assumed for the system response, and the required information for use as model inputs. Three commonly used models are described, as well as key features they possess that make them attractive to use for various applications. A case study is presented of a tall building which has fitness areas on two of the upper floors. The analysis predicted that the motions experienced would be within the given criteria, but showed that if the floor had been more flexible, the potential exists for a locked-in resonance response which could have been felt over large portions of the building.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.403-417
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• 2022

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for buildings that allow rapid assembly of construction elements, have ample open space areas and are flexible in their final intended use. Accordingly, researchers have developed new competitive structures in terms of cost and efficiency, such as cold-formed steel and timber composite floors, to satisfy these requirements. Cold-formed steel and timber composite floors are light floors with relatively high stiffness, which allow for longer spans. As a result, they inherently have lower fundamental natural frequency and lower damping. Therefore, they are likely to undergo unwanted vibrations under the action of human activities such as walking. It is also quite expensive and complex to implement vibration control measures on problematic floors. In this study, a finite element model of a composite floor reported in the literature was developed and validated against four-point bending test results. The validated FE model was then utilised to examine the vibration behaviour of the investigated composite floor. Predictions obtained from the numerical model were compared against predictions from analytical formulas reported in the literature. Finally, the influence of various parameters on the vibration behaviour of the composite floor was studied and discussed.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.35-45
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• 2001

Recently, the floor systems those require large open space may have low inherent damping due to the decline of the use of curtain walls. Furthermore, the use of the high strength materials has resulted in more flexible and longer spanning in floor systems. The long span structures such as shopping malls, offices and large assembly rooms may lead to significant dynamic response due to human activities. Excessive vibrations make the occupants uncomfortable and deteriorate the serviceability of buildings. It is now proved that footfall loading is the major source of floor vibrations. The common method of application of walking loads for the vibration analysis of structures subjected to walking loads is to inflict measured walking loads and periodic function at a node. But this method could not account for the moving effect of walking. In this study, natural frequency and damping ratio of example structure are evaluated by heel drop tests. And the application of equivalent walking loads is used for on efficient vibration analysis of the plate structures subjected to walking loads.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.5 no.2_3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2005

This paper describes recent developments in composite construction and their effect on codified design procedures in the UK. Areas of particular interest include: rules on shear connection, design of beams with web openings, serviceability limits, such as floor vibrations, and fire safe design. The design of cellular beams with regular circular openings now includes generalized rules for web-post buckling, and for the development of in-plane moment in the web-post for asymmetric sections. Closed solutions for the maximum shear force due to limits on web-post bending or buckling are presented. The fire resistance of cellular beams is also dependent on the temperature of the web-post, and for closely spaced openings. It is necessary to increase the thickness of fire protection to the web. For serviceability design of beams, deflection limits and natural frequency and response factor for vibration are presented. It may be necessary to use stricter limits for certain applications.