Stadium Structures: are They Excited?

This paper reviews various aspects of dynamic excitation of stadium structures by spectator activity. A historical review of relevant research and testing relating to the magnitude of forces generated by people involved in coordinated activity is outlined, together with data relating to the requirements of various Codes of Practice. The theory relating to the prediction of structural response to spectator jumping is presented, and a method for carrying out analyses is detailed. The paper considers a number of common stadium structures and discusses features which are potentially vulnerable to dynamic excitation. Finally, the paper gives examples where natural frequency predictions have been compared with the results obtained from monitoring of completed structures.

W.M. Reid, J.F. Dickie and Professor J. Wright