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Abstract: A mathematical model has been developed to generate stochastic synthetic vertical force signals induced by a single person jumping. The model is based on a unique database of experimentally measured individual jumping loads which has the most extensive range of possible jumping frequencies. The ability to replicate many of the temporal and spectral features of real jumping loads gives this model a definite advantage over the conventional half-sine models coupled with Fourier series analysis. This includes modelling of the omnipresent lack of symmetry of individual jumping pulses and jump-by-jump variations in amplitudes and timing. The model therefore belongs to a new generation of synthetic narrow band jumping loads which simulate reality better. The proposed mathematical concept for characterisation of near-periodic jumping pulses may be utilised in vibration serviceability assessment of civil engineering assembly structures, such as grandstands, spectator galleries, footbridges and concert or gym floors, to estimate more realistically dynamic structural response due to people jumping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: State-of-the-art facilities for measuring bouncing and jumping ground reaction forces (GRFs) comprise typically equipment for direct force measurement, i.e. single or multiple floor-mounted force plates. Artificial laboratory conditions and constraints imposed by the direct measurement systems, such as the small measuring area of a force plate, can have a strong influence on human ability to bounce and jump, naturally yielding unrepresentative force data. However, when dealing with issues like vibration serviceability assessment of real full-scale structures, such as floors, footbridges, staircases and grandstands, there is a growing need to estimate realistic GRFs under a wide range of natural conditions. This paper presents a novel method in the civil engineering context utilising ‘free-field’ measurement of human bouncing and jumping forces recorded continuously in time using motion capture technology transferred and adapted from biomechanical research. Results show that this kind of data can be used successfully in studies of human–structure dynamic interaction, specifically negative cue effect of a perceptibly vibrating structure on GRFs, energy flow and power in the human–structure system, and also synchronisation between individuals when bouncing/jumping in groups on more or less perceptibly moving structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A mathematical modelling procedure has been developed to generate synthetic vertical force signals induced by a single person jumping. The ability to replicate much of the temporal and spectral features of real jumping loads give this model a definite advantage over the conventional half-sine models coupled with Fourier series analysis. This includes modelling of the omnipresent lack of symmetry of individual jumping pulses and jump-by-jump variations in amplitudes and timing. The model therefore belongs to a new generation of synthetic narrowband jumping loads that simulate reality better. The proposed mathematical concept for characterisation of irregular jumping pulses may be utilised in vibration serviceability assessment of civil engineering assembly structures, such as grandstands, footbridges and concert or gym floors, to estimate realistic dynamic structural response due to people jumping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The increasing number of reported vibration serviceability problems in newly built pedestrian structures, such as footbridges and floors, under walking load has attracted considerable attention in the civil engineering community over the past two decades. The key design challenges are: the inter- and intra-subject variability of walking people, the unknown mechanisms of their interaction with the vibrating walking surfaces and the synchronisation between individuals in a group. Ignoring all or some of these factors makes the current design methods an inconsistent approximation of reality. This often leads to considerable over- or under-estimation of the structural response, yielding an unreliable assessment of vibration performance. Changes to the dynamic properties of an empty structure due to the presence of stationary people have been studied extensively over the past two decades. The understanding of the similar effect of walking people on laterally swaying bridges has improved tremendously in the past decade, due to considerable research prompted by the Millennium Bridge problem. However, there is currently a gap in knowledge about how moving pedestrians affect the dynamic properties of vertically vibrating structures. The key reason for this gap is the scarcity of credible experimental data pertinent to moving pedestrians on vertically vibrating structures, especially for multi-pedestrian traffic. This paper addresses this problem by studying the dynamic properties of the combined human-structure system, i.e. occupied structure damping ratio, natural frequency and modal mass. This was achieved using a comprehensive set of frequency response function records, measured on a full-scale test structure, which was occupied by various numbers of moving pedestrians under different walking scenarios. Contrary to expectations, it was found that the natural frequency of the joint moving human-structure system was higher than that of the empty structure, while it was lower when the same people were standing still. The damping ratio of the joint human-structure system was considerably higher than that of the empty structure for both the walking and standing people – in agreement with previous reports for stationary people - and was more prominent for larger groups. Interestingly, it was found that the walking human-structure system has more damping compared with the equivalent standing human-structure system. The properties of a single degree of freedom mass-spring-damper system representing a moving crowd needed to replicate these observations have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]