An Experimental Analysis of Grandstand Vibrations Caused by Crowd of Spectators during Two Football Matches

Abstract

A significant dynamic load may be induced by synchronize movement of larger spectators group (like as jumping, bouncing, jouncing, swaying or abruptly rising) on a sport stadium during a sport event. This load could generate discomforting grandstand vibrations and in some extreme cases, the large grandstand vibrations are detectable by spectators even visually. A dynamic experiment is described in the paper which was realized on a steel cantilever grandstand during two football matches in the place where the most active spectators were concentrated. Vertical grandstand accelerations were observed in three points that were located at the ends of three grandstand main beams. The results of the experiment had shown predictably that the most excessive grandstand vibrations were induced by fans in the particular situations when the home team scored a goal and during the fans celebration after the matches especially. In these particular situations, the detected vibrations could be perceived by spectators as uncomfortable.