What Can Structural Engineers Do to Address the Problem of Floor Vibrations?
Andrew W. Taylor, Ph.D., S.E., FACI
Floor vibrations are becoming an increasingly important design challenge as more buildings are constructed (or remodeled) to contain vibration-sensitive occupancies. Some examples are fitness gyms, dance floors, biotech research facilities, micro- and nano-scale manufacturing facilities, medical occupancies (such as MRI, CAT scan, and micro-surgery suites), and data centers. In addition, building owners and tenants have developed a heightened awareness of, and lower tolerance for, floor vibrations that can be felt by humans. Thus, as structural engineers, we are now frequently called upon to design, or renovate, buildings to meet specific floor vibration criteria. This presentation provides an overview of what is common practice for limiting floor vibrations. The following topics will be addressed during the web seminar:
- Code Requirements: Does 2015 IBC Section 1604.3 help with floor vibrations?
- Who uses ASCE 7-10 Appendix C (Serviceability Considerations)?
- Structural vibration criteria
- Equipment and methods used to make field measurements of structural vibrations, particularly floor vibrations
- General approaches for vibration design (or evaluation) of floor systems, including practical limitations of some existing analytical methods
Speaker Bio
Andrew W. Taylor, Ph.D., S.E., FACI is an Associate at KPFF Consulting Engineers in Seattle, WA. Taylor has 30 years of experience in structural engineering research and practice, including seven years with the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Taylor received his BSCE and MSCE degrees in 1983 and 1985 from the University of Washington in Seattle, and his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990. He has extensive research experience in experimental and theoretical investigations of the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete structures. His specialties include structural vibrations, performance-based seismic design of concrete structures, and seismic base isolation systems. Taylor is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, a member of ACI Committee 318 – Structural Building Code, Chair of Subcommittee H on Seismic Provisions, and past chair of ACI Committee 374 – Performance-Based Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings. He is past chair of the Earthquake Engineering Committee of the Structural Engineers Association of Washington and has served as a member of technical and advisory committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Building Seismic Safety Council, the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, The Portland Cement Association, and the National Research Council. He has served on reconnaissance teams following the 1994 Northridge, 1995 Kobe, 2001 Nisqually, and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes, and is a registered Structural Engineer in the State of Washington.
Andrew W. Taylor, Ph.D., S.E., FACI is an Associate at KPFF Consulting Engineers in Seattle, WA. Taylor has 30 years of experience in structural engineering research and practice, including seven years with the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Taylor received his BSCE and MSCE degrees in 1983 and 1985 from the University of Washington in Seattle, and his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990. He has extensive research experience in experimental and theoretical investigations of the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete structures. His specialties include structural vibrations, performance-based seismic design of concrete structures, and seismic base isolation systems. Taylor is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, a member of ACI Committee 318 "Structural Building Code, Chair of Subcommittee H on Seismic Provisions, and past chair of ACI Committee 374"; Performance-Based Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings. He is past chair of the Earthquake Engineering Committee of the Structural Engineers Association of Washington and has served as a member of technical and advisory committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Building Seismic Safety Council, the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, The Portland Cement Association, and the National Research Council. He has served on reconnaissance teams following the 1994 Northridge, 1995 Kobe, 2001 Nisqually, and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes, and is a registered Structural Engineer in the State of Washington.