Vibration Serviceability and Control of Civil Structures Seminar

A recently commenced programme of research at the University of Sheffield is investigating the use of active vibration control (AVC) techniques for mitigation of human-induced loading in slender and lightweight floor structures. This work has demonstrated considerable potential to solve a problem that has outwitted structural engineers for the last 4 decades, with substantial reductions in response being measured on an lively floor in normal use. This work has also shown that AVC has the potential to be 'designed-in' to new buildings to increase their efficiency and hence reduce their carbon footprint.

This talk will give an overview of the AVC research currently under way at Sheffield and will present results of some of our most recent work. This work on control of floor vibrations will be framed in the wider context of control of human-induced vibrations in civil structures, where a range of technologies are required to deal with problems as diverse as crowds in sports stadia and footbridges, and individuals and groups of pedestrians on floors, footbridges and staircases.