Design For Floor Vibration

Serviceability rather than strength is the most critical design requirement for vibration vulnerable floor constructions.

Design for floor vibration.

In canada the building code includes limits on floor vibration. The concepts of floor response and the different types of excitation produced by occupant induced vibrations are explained. This design guide is organized for the reader to move from basic principles of floor vibration and the associated termi nology in chapter 1 to serviceability criteria for evaluation and design in chapter 2 to estimation of natural floor fre quency the most important floor vibration property in chap. Codes don t regulate floor vibration.

These accelerations are then compared with the limits cited in the international standard iso 10137 to determine if the. For slender floor structures as made in steel or composite construction serviceability criteria govern the design. Design of floor for vibration. With thoughtful design the engineer can create a floor system that properly damps vibrations for sensitive equipment in an affordable and functionally flexible structure.

The purpose of this publication is to provide design engineers with a practical yet comprehensive review of the criteria and methods available to prevent floor vibration problems. The software may be used to examine complete floor plans or part floor plans comparing alternative beam arrangements. Annoying vibrations due to normal walking activity have been observed more. A new approach developed by the uk s steel construction institute sci uses a finite element approach to determine the accelerations at various points on the floor due to walking activity.

This publication provides guidance for vibration design of all steel framed floor and building types. Because of the complexities involved in human response to vibration and the different. Builders design for deflection only typically by holding deflection due to live load to a maximum of l 360 where l is the floor joist span or perhaps a more restrictive l 480. It deals with the human perception of vibration and the criteria by which it is measured.

L the design guide should not be applied to specification of tolerable vibration by the introduction of acceptance classes chapter 4 and l buildings prediction of floor response due to human. Sophisticated finite element analysis fea techniques can be used to solve floor vibration problems which can affect people in a high rise office boardroom or disturb sensitive medical and industrial equipment and to design isolation systems for both small equipment and entire buildings. Dynamic testing of floors. Testing and vibration performance assessment based on experimental data are powerful tools which can be used to ascertain the as built vibration behaviour of building floors.