MODAL TESTING AND VIBRATION MEASUREMENTS OF A FULL-SCALE CLT FLOOR

Abstract

<p>Cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors are increasingly used in long-span buildings as a greener alternative to reinforced concrete, steel and their composites. Despite high stiffness, relatively low mass of CLT makes such floors prone to pedestrian-induced vibrations. While these vibrations do not threaten structural integrity and safety, they often cause vibration serviceability issues. Therefore, vibration serviceability assessment (VSA) regularly governs their structural design. To address a high level of uncertainty pertinent to numerical VSA of CLT floors, in situ vibration measurements of as-built floors are essential. This study presents an experimental investigation of modal properties and pedestrian-induced vibrations of a full-scale CLT floor in an office building in Serbia. The study showed that its vibration behaviour is radically different from what is assumed in leading design guidelines for floor vibrations.</p>