Dynamic experimental monitoring and numerical analysis of floors subjected to human activities

Resumo

The present work aims to evaluate the dynamic structural behaviour of a reinforced concrete floor
located on the eighth story of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). The investigated floor is currently
used for rhythmic human activities (gym activities). In some situations, such rhythmic activities produce a high
degree of synchronization, which on some occasions can stimulate high levels of vibrations that may cause
discomfort to the users. This way, the investigated structural model consists of a reinforced concrete floor with
dimensions of 16 m by 35 m and total area of 560 m2. Initially, a dynamic experimental monitoring of the floor
was performed aiming to determine the dynamical properties (natural frequencies and structural damping). After
that, a numerical model was developed to represent the studied floor, based on the use of usual mesh refinement
techniques present in the Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations and implemented in ANSYS program. In
sequence, the experimental and numerical dynamic structural responses were compared and the finite element
model of the reinforced concrete floor was properly calibrated. Finally, the floor was subjected to rhythmic
human activities (gym activities) and the dynamic response was investigated based on the use of biodynamic
models. The current outcome of this research paper enabled a complete structural dynamic assessment of the
concrete floor in terms of human comfort and its associated vibration serviceability limit states. The results show
the relevance of the dynamic analysis in the structural design of buildings, considering the human activities that
take place and influence the structure.