Design of floor structures against human-induced vibrations

A simple method for designing floor structures against humaninduced vibrations is presented in a joint JRC-ECCS publication, which was developed from two major European research projects supported by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). The simple method is appropriate for floors where the response is dominated by the first eigenmode being excited by walking. This paper presents a general design method that was also developed within the scope of these RFCS projects and is based on a modal superposition approach. The method has a wider range of application as it may be applied to any floor type and, in addition to walking, other human activities can be readily included. The general design methodology has been successfully used in the UK since 2004 on a variety of steel-framed floors, which have included office, hospital, residential and dance floors.