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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S14924/01
Title: Investigation of the As-Built Vibration Performance of System Built Floors
Principal Investigator: Pavic, Professor A
Other Investigators:
Waldron, Professor P Reynolds, Professor P
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Arup Group Ltd British Precast Concrete Federation Ltd Leuven Measurement & Systems UK Ltd
Lloyd's Register Group Steel Construction Institute Waterman Structures Ltd
Department: Civil and Structural Engineering
Organisation: University of Sheffield
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 November 2003 Ends: 31 May 2007 Value (£): 278,681
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Eng. Dynamics & Tribology Structural Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Construction Technical Consultancy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The continuing decline in traditional manufacturing industries and a trend towards a more high-tech and service-based economy in the UK have created an unprecedented demand for high-quality open-plan space in multi-storey buildings to accommodate high-tech manufacturing and offices. To satisfy this need, long-span steel and/or concrete composite flooring solutions have regained their popularity to such an extent that their annual market value is estimated at more than 1 billion to the UK building construction industry. The vibration response of long-span composite flooring systems is frequently the governing design criterion, particularly when pre-cast concrete elements with little or no in-situ concrete topping are used to simplify and speed up the construction. The two currently available design guidelines published by the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) and the Concrete Society, neither of which were experimentally verified before publication, have proved to be inadequate and are often over-conservative. This increases the cost and reduces the effectiveness of most long-span building floor solutions.The aim of the project is to provide tools to remedy this by employing advanced dynamic testing (multi-shaker excitation) and analysis (FE model updating) technologies. It is expected that more reliable estimates of damping and distribution of the floor stiffness will be obtained by multi-shaker modal testing. This will be verified by employing FE model updating technology that will render more reliable analytical models. Finally, these updated models will be validated against an extensive set of experimental response measurements leading to a better understanding of the problem and much improved design guidelines.
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Organisation Website: http://www.shef.ac.uk