Improving floor vibration performance using interstitial columns

Abstract

Lightweight, long-span steel office floors of both new and old construction are commonly susceptible to objectionable footfall-induced vibrations. Frequently, older buildings are renovated for newer purposes that require the removal of partitions that had previously provided some vibration control through added structural damping and stiffness. It can be prohibitive, both economically and operationally, to either retrofit the original structure with more beams, or to add external damping devices such as Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs). This paper provides three case studies of lightweight, long-span steel buildings, and demonstrates the effectiveness of using interstitial columns to vertically link two or more floors together. In doing so, the mass and/or stiffness of the floor will be increased, which serves to reduce footfall vibration levels.