Experimental Investigation on Human Walking Loading Parameters and Biodynamic Model

Abstract

As part of a project to calibrate a biodynamic model of a walking person in view of the dynamic interaction with flexible structures, the paper aims at the determination of the dynamic load factors and corresponding phase angles of the Fourier series function representative of the load and the investigation on the consistency of the proposed biodynamic model. An experimental campaign was conducted with 53 people that walked individually along an instrumented rigid platform to measure the vertical ground force simultaneously to the acceleration of their waist. Expressions of the dynamic load factors were adjusted to the data and compared to results reported in the literature. The signals of the reaction forces and corresponding pedestrian accelerations are revealed to be in phase as expected by the mathematical formulation of the proposed biodynamic model. The first harmonic load factor expressed as a function of the step frequency displayed lower values compared to others researcher’s expressions. For this load factor, the subject height is shown to be a significant parameter especially for lower step frequency range in which taller people yield values up to 20% greater than shorter one did. The consistency of the proposed biodynamic model was demonstrated thus enabling the research continuity. Distinct employed procedures and pedestrian number and characteristics may explain the differences found between the present results and those of the literature. A new expression to the first harmonic dynamic load factor is offered in the paper in which not only the step frequency is considered but also the person’s height.