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Updated: Aug 9, 2025
10:52
Simulation of Human-induced Vibrations Based on the Characterized In-field Pedestrian Behavior
Published on: April 13, 2016
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Multi-Objective Optimization Applied to the Design of Sustainable Pedestrian Bridges
Fernando Luiz Tres Junior1, Víctor Yepes2, Guilherme Fleith de Medeiros1
1Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPGEng), University of Passo Fundo, Km 292, BR 285, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 25, 2023
Summary
Engineers can optimize steel-concrete pedestrian bridges to reduce cost, CO2 emissions, and vibrations. A 15% cost increase significantly lowers vertical acceleration, improving user comfort.
Area of Science:
- Structural Engineering
- Sustainable Design
- Computational Optimization
Background:
- Growing demand for sustainable structures necessitates optimization in design.
- Pedestrian bridges require balancing structural integrity, user comfort, and environmental impact.
- Human-induced vibrations are a key concern for pedestrian bridge design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform a multi-objective optimization of a steel-concrete composite pedestrian bridge.
- Minimize cost, carbon dioxide emissions, and vertical acceleration due to human walking.
- Investigate the trade-offs between structural performance, cost, and environmental impact.
Main Methods:
- Application of Multi-Objective Harmony Search (MOHS) algorithm.
- Generation of a Pareto Front to represent non-dominated solutions.
- Consideration of two scenarios with varying unit emissions from life cycle assessment.
Main Results:
- A 15% increase in structure cost led to a reduction in vertical acceleration from 2.5 to 1.0 m/s².
- Optimal web height to span ratio found between L/20 and L/16.
- Web height, concrete strength, and slab thickness significantly influence vertical acceleration.
Conclusions:
- Multi-objective optimization effectively balances competing design goals for pedestrian bridges.
- Pareto-optimal solutions are sensitive to input parameters, highlighting the need for sensitivity analysis.
- Optimized designs can enhance sustainability and user comfort in civil infrastructure.
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