Pedestrian's evaluation of structural vibration

Excellent mechanical properties of contemporary construction materials and the urgent need to avert climate change are resulting in exceptionally slender, lightweight, and environmentally friendly pedestrian structures. These structures are susceptible to excessive vibrations due to human activities, as evidenced by uncomfortable vibrations at the opening of the Millennium Bridge in London and the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor in Paris. These incidents have demonstrated that human's vibration comfort has become governing criterion in design of pedestrian structures. Important progress in modelling human dynamic actions and the resulting structural vibration has been made since then; however the crucial final step of modelling pedestrian's response to structural vibration remains unreliable. Significant inconsistencies exist across national and international design guidelines, each of which neglects at least three out of five influential factors (vibration amplitude, vibration frequency, human posture, exposure time and pacing frequency). SENSATION (pedeStrian's EvaluatioN of Structural vibrATION) will make a step-change in design of new pedestrian structures by considering all five influential factors for the first time. Both subjective and objective assessment of vibration effect on pedestrians will be measured by utilising unique experimental facilities recently built in Exeter: motion simulator, VSim, and lively Exeter Footbridge, EF. The project will benefit from a combination of skills and knowledge that are rarely available in one place: my expertise in human factors and host's leadership in vibration engineering, human motion science and psychology. The outcomes (vibration perception and acceptability thresholds and equivalent comfort contours) will enable design of structures with required standard of comfort and wellbeing and establish my leadership in this research field.