Advanced Technologies for Mitigation of Human-induced Structural Vibrations

Synopsis

Human-induced vibrations cause problems in a variety of civil engineering structures, including office floors, commercial buildings, hospitals, footbridges, staircases, sports stadia and others. These problems have been exacerbated in recent years by the trends towards ever more lightweight and slender structural forms and more open-plan building layouts, resulting in structures with lower mass, stiffness and damping. Traditional techniques to control vibrations include structural modifications (adding mass and stiffness) and a range of passive control technologies (TMDs, viscoelastic treatments, etc.). Unfortunately, these measures are often ineffective and/or expensive. This presentation gives an overview of more advanced technologies that have potential application to human-induced vibrations in civil structures, including active vibration control, semi-active control and hybrid control (combined active/passive). Results from recent research into their performance benefits are also presented. These advanced technologies offer more effective means of controlling vibrations in problematic structures than traditional methods and may offer a way to achieve ever more slender and efficient structures in the future.

Speaker: Professor Paul Reynolds (University of Sheffield)

Paul Reynolds gained his PhD in vibration serviceability of civil structures from the University of Sheffield, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering in 2000. He was appointed as a Lecturer in the same department in 1998 and currently is Professor of Structural Dynamics and Control.  He is a founding member of the Vibration Engineering Section and a Director of the University spin-off company Full Scale Dynamics Limited. In recent years he has focused his efforts on advanced methods for control of human-induced vibrations and in 2011 he was awarded a prestigious 5 year EPSRC Leadership Fellowship entitled "Advanced Technologies for Mitigation of Human-Induced Vibrations".

Further information

This evening meeting is organised by SECED and chaired by Dr Andrew Mair (Jacobs). Non-members of the society are welcome to attend. Attendance at this meeting is free. Seats are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. For further information, please contact Greg James (tel. 020 7665 2229).