Human-Induced Vibrations on Two Lively Footbridges in Milan

This article describes the results of extensive full-scale experiments carried out on two lively footbridges recently built in Milan, Italy. The objective of the study was to assess the dynamic characteristics of the bridges and the expected vibration level induced by pedestrians. A preliminary vibration analysis of the bridges revealed their potential sensitivity to human-induced vibrations in the vertical direction. Two sets of experiments were carried out, one before and one after the installation of tuned mass dampers. Furthermore, bridge vibrations during a marathon event were recorded and analyzed. Experimental and analytical results were compared for several loading scenarios.