Assessment of the footfall vibration sensitivity of Skylark floors

Summary

This report presents the results of a survey performed on a recently built Skylark WikiHouse called Peak Barns. The study focuses on the vibration of the structural beams as a ’whole’ and the overall floor response. The survey was conducted by impact testing and walking test. Results show that the detected natural frequencies classify the floor as a high frequency floor, and this means that resonance due to human walking is unlikely. Furthermore, mode shapes show that, even if beams were designed as standalone elements, they actually share vertical loads with each other. This behaviour has a stiffening effect on the floor and increases modal mass, reducing vibration amplitude. Finally, it appears that the number of activities necessary to exceed the limit of ’low probability of adverse comments’ is quite unlikely.

Details

Download Full PDF

Experimental data