VSATs Software for Assessing And Visualising Floor Vibration Serviceability Based on First Principles

Abstract

Vibration serviceability of building floors is becoming a governing design criterion for many open plan building floors. To make correct decisions about floor vibration performance, calculating only the highest vibration response of the floor is not sufficient anymore. Because of the considerable complexity of the problem and shortcomings of practically all codified procedures for checking floor vibration serviceability, it is prudent to use not one but several assessment strategies while making sure that application of the first principles in structural dynamics is preserved. Also, rather than focusing on a single highest response value, calculating distribution of the highest responses at each floor point is the way forward to obtain a more informed vibration serviceability check. Finally, easy link to commercial structural analysis packages and dynamic testing results, comprehensive but quick dynamic response calculation and effective visualisation of the measured and calculated vibration responses are of paramount importance in modern floor vibration serviceability design (for new structures) and assessment (for existing structures). To address all these issues, this paper presents Vibration Serviceability Assessment Tools (VSATs), a MATLAB‐based software package, developed to aid not only assessment of vibration serviceability of floors, but also development of new floor designs and research into their vibration behaviour. Its operation and application of a number of procedures useful for vibration serviceability assessment together with pertinent visualisation tools is presented to increase awareness of various state‐of‐the‐art procedures available nowadays.