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Guideline I.7: Vibration Reduction

Intent

To promote interior conditions that avoid harmful vibration effects produced by wind sway, transmitted outdoor sources, indoor machinery (especially HVAC), and foot traffic. This will avoid prolonged exposure to unhealthy vibration levels and enable prolonged comfortable work at a workstation. It will also diminish anxiety and stress due to wind sway on upper floors as well as maintain the value of the building.

Required Performance Criteria

Guidelines apply to all projects designated New Buildings and are recommended for Major Renovations that include structural changes.

  1. For steel structures, control vibrations in accordance with AISC Design Guide 11.
  2. For steel joists, control vibrations in accordance with SJI Technical Digest #5: Vibration of Steel Joist-Concrete Slab Floors.
  3. For wood or concrete construction, control deflection as follows:
    1. Live Load Deflection: L/480
    2. Total Deflection: L/360

Recommended Performance Criteria

  1. To better control vibration, do not construct floors using bar joists

The following recommendations for improved vibration control comes from Human Factors Research on the effects of vibration on health and wellbeing of occupants:

  1. Return period of greater than 0.5% g horizontal acceleration in top third of a high rise (7 stories or greater) building shall not be less than 6 years.
  2. Floor vibration must be kept above Splittgerber Minimum Complaint Level (approximately 0.001 Root Mean Square Acceleration (Grms) across 4–8 hertz (Hz) resonant with human body components) or 8 hour reduced comfort level (approximately 0.15m/sec2 across 4–8 Hz resonant with human body components) for all continuously occupied spaces, restrooms, and meeting rooms.
  3. Apply floor vibration criterion to all intermittently occupied spaces except storage areas.

 

Implementation in the Design Process:

Include performance criteria in programming document. Identify any potential sources of unusual vibration conditions within building (e.g., heavy equipment or machinery operations, inclusion of windpower generators, etc.).

Consider performance criteria in placement of machinery and in general building form and layout. Confirm isolation of vibration sources in early design, or tag for special treatment in design development. Demonstrate compliance via structural calculations or table citation during design development through construction documentation.

Design:

  • I.7D: Verification that the design does not incorporate use of bar joists for floor assemblies.

Final Design:

  • I.7A: Verification that the design complies with AISC Design Guide 11.
  • I.7B: Verification that vibrations controlled according to SJI Technical Digest #5: Vibration of Steel Joist-Concrete Slab Floors
  • I.7C: Verification that the deflection limits comply with listed limits.
  • I.7D: Verification that the design does not incorporate use of bar joists for floor assemblies.
  • I.7E: Verification that the return period is within the guideline limits.
  • I.7F: Verification that floor vibration is within guideline limits for continuously occupied spaces.
  • I.7G: Verification that floor vibration is within guideline limits for all intermittently occupied spaces.

The American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. (AISC) AISC Design Guide 11: https://www.aisc.org/Design-Guide-11-Vibrations-of-Steel-Framed-Structural-Systems-Due-to-Human-Activity-Second-Edition#.WPV-6aLavIU

Steel Joist Institute (SJI) SJI Technical Digest #5: Vibration of Steel Joist-Concrete Slab: https://steeljoist.org/product-category/publications/

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