Vibration Serviceability Assessment of Floor Structures: Simulation of Human-Structure-Environment Interactions Using...

Area of Science:

• Structural Engineering
• Human-Structure Interaction
• Vibration Analysis

Background:

• Human interaction significantly impacts structural vibration estimation.
• Existing Interaction-based Vibration Serviceability Assessment (I-VSA) has limitations in simulating multiple structural modes and complex human interactions.
• Accurate simulation of human-structure dynamic interactions (HSI) is crucial for assessing vibration serviceability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel Agent-based Vibration Serviceability Assessment (AVSA) framework.
• To overcome limitations of previous methods by enabling simultaneous simulation of multiple structural modes, human-environment interactions, and occupant movement patterns.
• To provide a flexible and generic framework for advanced vibration serviceability analysis.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Agent-based Vibration Serviceability Assessment (AVSA) framework.
• Simulation of a lightweight floor's response to combined sitting and walking loads, engaging three vertical vibration modes.
• Integration of human-environment interactions and detailed movement patterns within the simulation.

Main Results:

• AVSA successfully simulated structural vibrations under combined dynamic loads.
• Experimental vibration data consistently fell within the 95% confidence interval predicted by AVSA.
• The framework demonstrated high accuracy in predicting vibration serviceability for complex scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The AVSA framework offers a significant advancement in simulating vibration serviceability.
• It provides a versatile tool for analyzing diverse interaction modalities, human activities, and structural responses.
• AVSA enhances the reliability of vibration assessments in built environments.