VSimulators: Cutting-edge facilities for research into structural vibration serviceability, London

Overview

The presentation will describe the VSimulators facility, show the research in action and present early results.

Note: This is an in-person event and advance registration is not required for in-person attendance. The event will also be streamed live online. Register now to receive the streaming link!

VSimulators was created primarily to support a major overhaul of design guidance for vibration serviceability in two major applications: the low frequency sway of tall buildings and the higher frequency bounce of lively floors. Existing guidance, which is well past its sell-by date, was usually developed based on limited and sometimes compromised experimental observations, primarily aimed at perception thresholds. The chain of evidence is often tenuous, with highly subjective observations and acceptance criteria that are demonstrably inappropriate.

VSimulators research will adopt a cross-disciplinary scientific approach and appropriate testing protocols but, most importantly, accounting for environmental factors in buildings which are known to have significant influence on user experience. Environment is simulated through different forms of physical and virtual reality in VSim@Bath (tall building sway) and VSim@Exeter (floor and other high frequency vibration).

The first users of VSim@Exeter are undergraduate students studying use of response factors in design and a PhD student studying human lateral stability relating to human-structure interaction. VSim@Bath currently supports two ongoing PhD projects, one dealing with assessing acceptability of wind-induced vibrations in tall building office environments, focusing on a phenomenon known as sopite syndrome, the other relating to the impact of indoor air quality on productivity in offices. We will describe the VSimulators facility, show the research in action and present early results.

Further information
This event is organised by SECED. The event will be chaired by Ian G Smith (Atkins). The event will be held in-person at the Institution of Civil Engineers. Attendance at this meeting is free. Seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis.