Effect of Non-Structural Elements on the Vibration Performance of Arched Prestressed Concrete Truss Girder: An Experimental and Numerical Study

Excessive floor vibrations induced by human activities are of primary concern for the serviceability of modern building structures, particularly for long-span structures. The vibration serviceability of the long-span floor systems is affected, to a greater or lesser extent, by the location and intensity of non-structural elements, however, the effect of non-structural elements on the vibration response has been rarely investigated. An arched prestressed concrete truss (APT) girder was manufactured and tested to examine the possible effects of non-structural elements on its dynamic behavior under human excitation, including heel-drop, jumping and walking. In parallel with the experimental program, numerical simulations of the dynamic properties of the APT girder with uniform live loads fully or partially distributed along its length were undertaken. The developed finite element (FE) models were validated against the experimental results under ambient vibration and then employed to predict the modal properties under various combinations of partially distributed live loads and to assess the vibration performance of the APT girder under human excitation.