Semi-active control of staircase vibration under human excitation

Abstract

Feature staircases in modern offices are often very slender and lightweight structures with minimal damping. This, combined with quite onerous human dynamic excitation, can result in large responses that cause discomfort and concern to occupants. This paper presents the results of a study into the use of a semi-active tuned mass damper for mitigation of excessive vibrations in a staircase structure. A number of semi-active vibration control strategies are evaluated and other performance considerations, such as off-tuning and the effects of time delays, are investigated. Semi-active control is demonstrated to be a feasible technique for mitigation of human-induced vibration in staircases.