It is very important to understand how a structure will respond to use. Structural engineers need to answer questions such as, ‘will human induced vibration cause disruption to the occupants of a building or even prevent them from carrying out their professional work?’
Footfall analysis can be the answer to such questions, using
structural engineering software programmes like
Oasys GSA Building. Whether a structure is built in steel, concrete or timber, GSA Building is the ultimate software for obtaining accurate and reliable results when performing footfall analysis.
In this article we will explore five types of environments that require different types of analysis with reference to GSA Building as the ideal software to provide precise, dependable results, meeting specific project requirements.
1. Large Crowds
Arenas and stadiums are often made from steel and are built with extremely large groups of people in mind. For example, audiences at music concerts or sporting events usually dance and sing along to their favourite artists or jump and shout for joy to support their team. Therefore, these types of structures need special requirements when calculating crowd excitation vibrations and so advanced analysis methods should be performed using structural engineering software, such as time history and harmonic analyses with GSA Building.
2. Science and accuracy
Laboratories, for example, are usually constructed using concrete for strength and stability as they have exacting requirements for vibration control. This is to ensure the accuracy of their experiments, especially when using sensitive electronic equipment such as microscopes. GSA Building can provide high levels of accuracy and flexibility when calculating human-induced vibration accelerations and velocities.
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3. Rhythmic and Crowd Activity
Buildings like sports halls and gyms are typically constructed using steel as they require long beam spans. These types of buildings differ from others when considering human induced vibration as many of the activities carried out are co-ordinated and harmonised. For example, aerobics and dance classes can cause resonance with the natural frequencies of the structure, making the floor bounce. Moreover, weightlifting in a gym can induce transient vibrations from the weights dropping on the floor. GSA Building performs accurately when using both harmonic and time history dynamic response analysis.
4. Health and Human Concern
Like laboratories, hospitals that house operating theatres are often constructed from concrete as they require an extreme level of solidity. It is vital that buildings where lifesaving operations are taking place are carefully considered and are constructed using the highest quality designs. There should be an absolute minimum of vibrations to avoid disturbing surgeons carrying out their meticulous work. By using GSA Building, structural engineers can ensure accuracy in their calculations when designing sensitive floor structures.
5.Quality Builds
Quality builds such as high specification offices, especially those that are constructed using timber, require exact human induced vibration analysis to meet the requirements of client specification. You can see an example of the footfall analysis for retail offices in the GSA model below.
Watch this webinar to learn more:
‘Footfall Analysis with Oasys GSA’.