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Design of concrete floors for vibration

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 Design of concrete floors for vibration
Abstract: - It is generally perceived that vibration is not an issue for reinforced concrete floor systems. Because of the
inherent mass and stiffness of such systems, this perception is generally true. However, there can be situations where
the effects of vibration are one of the main design issues that need to be addressed. In building floors, excessive
vibrations are generally not a safety concern for building floor systems but a cause of annoyance and discomfort.
Excessive vibrations typically occur in: (a) light weight floors; (b) floor systems with low stiffness where the floor
dominant natural frequency is close to the excitation frequency; and (c) floors with low damping. While the floor mass
and stiffness are normally constant during the life of the structure and can be estimated with a high degree of accuracy,
damping is more difficult to predict because it is mostly associated with non-structural components such as partitions,
false floors, suspended ceilings and ducts as well as furniture such as filing cabinets and bookshelf’s. This paper
provides a summary of factors affecting floor vibrations, checking with the perceptive values suggested in standards
and discusses available damping systems and isolation methods which can be used to reduce vibration levels in floor
systems.
1.Introduction Table1 Recommended damping factors for various
The parameters governing the vibration response of a occupancies
floor system are its mass; modulus of elasticity;
damping; extent of cracking if any; and post-tensioning.
The floor should be designed to resist the anticipated
dynamic loads due to rhythmic activity which should be
considered as an additional imposed load case.
1.1 Mass - The mass to be used in analysis is that of the As per ATC 1999 a damping ratio of 0.02 is recommended
floor system and its superimposed load. It is expressed as for floors with few non-structural components (like
(W/g), where “W” is the weight of the objects attached to electronic offices), while a ratio of 0.05 can be used where
the floor that faithfully follow its displacement and “g” is full height partitions are present below floors.
2
the gravitational acceleration taken as 32.2 ft/sec (9.81 1.4 Extent of Cracking - Cracking reduces floor stiffness
m/sec2). Applied forces without mass that do not affect and, consequently, lowers its natural frequency. For
structure’s stiffness are not included in the vibration conventionally reinforced concrete it is important to allow
response of a floor. for cracking. Otherwise, the results are likely to be on the
1.2 Modulus of Elasticity - The elastic modulus for unconservative side.
vibration analysis is larger than the static values, in 2.Perception of vibration
particular when high strength concrete is used. In most cases the perceptibility is related to the response
Recommended values are 25% higher than the static acceleration of the floor system for different natural
modulus. frequencies of the floor. The common consensus among
1.3 Damping – damping is a measure of how quickly the the investigators is that humans are most sensitive to
vibration will subside and eventually stop. Damping has an vibration for frequencies between 4 to 8 Hz. Larger
inherently high variability that is difficult to determine acceleration values can be tolerated at higher or lower
before a floor system is placed in service. The frequencies.
recommended values from reference [Allen, D.E., and
Murray, T. M., 1993] vary from 2- 3% for bare concrete
floors to 5-8% with full height partitions. Damping factors
suggested in the same reference are listed below,

Fig 1. Vibration perception scale for heal drop as per
Canadian steel code (CAN3-S16.1-M89)
Fig.2 Threshold of human sensitivity to vertical vibration
as applied technology council (ATC, 1999)
3.Design criteria for vibration
Response factor approach
Current standards quantify the magnitude of floor
vibrations in terms of the acceleration of the floor. The
acceptability of a floor is accessed by diving the predicted
acceleration by a baseline value to obtain a response
factor, and checking that the calculated response factor is
less than the appropriate multiplying factor given in the
relevant codes and other specialist guidance. This method
assumes vibration over a 16-hour day or 8-hour night.
Baseline acceleration is dependent on the direction of the
vibration.
Vibration dose value (VDV) approach
This alternate method may prove especially beneficial in
buildings where the vibration is caused by discrete and
infrequent events, rather than continuous activity.
Self weight approach as per SCI-P354 for composite
floors
A simplified method has been developed for simple
building layouts comprising regular grids of steel beams
supporting a concrete floor slabs.
The natural frequency may be obtained from,
3.1 Steps involved in vibration analysis
1. Calculation of floor’s peak acceleration response.
2. Calculated response acceleration is compared
with the minimum acceptable value given by
equation by [Allen, D.E., and Murray, T.M., 1993].
3. Calculated response acceleration for the
first natural frequency is compared/checked
against ATC chart (Threshold limit of vibration)
(Fig.2).
Finite element modelling may be used to obtain the
natural frequency, modal mass and mode shapes.
3.1.1 Determination of vibration characteristics of a floor
Determining vibration characteristics requires finding (i)
the natural frequency of a floor system and (ii) the
associated peak acceleration. Several methods are
available, including commercial programs, to determine
the natural frequency of a floor.
The parameters to use with Table 2 for the computation
of the first natural frequency of rectangular slab panels
are,
Where,
f = first natural frequency [Hz];
a = span length in X-direction;
E = dynamic modulus of elasticity [1.25 static E in psi;
MPa];
h = slab thickness [in; mm];
ν = Poisson’s ratio [0.2];
g = gravitational acceleration [32.2 ft/sec 2; 9810
mm/sec2]; and
q = weight per unit surface area of the slab.
Alternatively, the following relationship can be used to
calculate the first natural frequency [Szilard,
1974]. First natural frequency “f” is given by
K = a constant, given in [Table 3];
β = modal damping ratio [Table 2];
W = weight of area of floor panel affected by the point
load (heel drop); and fn = minimum frequency.
Table 2 First natural frequency constant ɸ for
rectangular slab panels of uniform thickness

For column-supported structures, a two-way action resists

the applied transverse loads, and the first
mode of vibration can be that of a one-way strip.

Where, √ D/m is given by,

Natural frequency for various reinforced concrete floors

systems have been developed using fundamental
principles of dynamics.
Natural frequency for various concrete floor system as per
“Design guide for vibration of reinforced concrete floor
systems” by Fanella and Mota in 2014.
3.1.2 Peak acceleration and acceptability of vibration
Peak acceleration is obtained from the first natural
frequency of a floor. [ATC, 1999; AISC/CISC 1997]
recommends the following relationship:
Table 3 Constant K for minimum acceptable frequency

where
ap = peak acceleration;
g = gravitational acceleration [32.2 ft/sec2; 9.81 m/sec2];
Po = constant force representing the walking force;
β = modal damping ratio, recommended in Table 1;
4.Methods of reducing excessive floor vibration
W = effective weight of the panel and the superimposed
Excessive vibration can occur in slab systems with low
dead load; and
stiffness or a low damping ratio. Increasing the stiffness of
fn = first natural frequency.
the slab is one method which can be used to reduce
excessive floor vibration. In some cases, this is, however
not possible because the additional mass of the structure,
therefore it will indirectly increase the overall mass of the
where
structure, therefore it will increase the stress of the
structural elements. A concrete structural system is
typically more economical when meeting a given vibration
criteria. In addition, concrete systems have greater
internal damping when compared with steel systems.
Damping is extremely beneficial for reducing a floor
systems vibration response- it not only reduces the
vibration velocity but also the length of time the floor
system vibrates. Other methods are using passive (Tuned
mass dampers), active and semi-active dampers and
foundation vibration isolation.
4.1 Dampers
4.1.1 Passive dampers
Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD) and viscoelastic materials
represent typical passive dampers. Floors with annoying
vibration characteristics became entirely satisfactory by
tuning the TMDs to a natural frequency of about 1.0 Hz
less than that of the floor and using a damping ratio of
7.5% (Setareh 2006).
Generally, a modern TMD consists of a mass, spring, and
dashpot and is typically tuned such that when large levels
of motion occur, the TMD counteracts the movements of
the structural system.
The terms M1, K1, C1, Y1 represent the mass, stiffness,
damping and displacement of the TMD, while M2, K2, C2,
Y2 represent the mass, stiffness, damping and
displacement of the floor and F2(t) represents the
excitation force. As the two systems move relative to each
other, the passive damper is stretched and compressed,
reducing the vibrations of the structure by increasing its
effective damping. TMD systems are typically effective
over a narrow frequency band and must be tuned to a
particular natural frequency. They are not effective if the
structure has several closely spaced natural frequencies
and sometimes they increase the vibration if they are off-
tuned (Webster & Vaicaitis 1992). The natural frequency
fn of a TMD and floor can be obtained from Equation:
ωn = 2πfn =√(k/m)
where k = stiffness and m = mass. The optimum damping
ratio (ζopt) of the vibration absorber (TMD) corresponds
to,
Damping using visco-elastic materials: Visco-elastic
materials (VEM) offer the advantage of reducing
vibrations over a broader range of frequencies compared
with TMDs. However, similar to TMDs, visco-elastic
damping works optimally only for a specific mode of
vibration. Nevertheless, use of VEMs is a cheap method of
increasing the damping if incorporated during
construction.
4.1.2 Active controlled dampers
The active device is compact and can be installed with
relative speed and ease in the ceiling cavity available in
most commercial buildings. An actively controlled mass
provides a larger degree of control compared with a
passive device with an equivalent reactive mass. The
active system is also less disruptive to the building
function than most other repair measures.
4.1.3 Semi-active control dampers
The term semi-active describes a system that consists of a
variable actuator that requires very little power to
operate. The power required for the semi-active dampers
(SADs) is that necessary to modulate the valve position
and is typically many orders of magnitude less than that
required to achieve a similar performance by fully active
dampers (FADs).
As a form of passive damper, visco-elastic materials can
be very effective because they can cover a wider range of
frequencies compared to TMDs. However, such materials
must be incorporated during construction and the floor
must be designed to account for the reduced composite
action between the slab and beams. Semi-active tuned
mass dampers can be more effective than TMDs but an
actuator requires power to modulate the fluid flow
through the valves. Fully active dampers offer greater
flexibility and can be more efficient than the passive and
semi active tuned mass dampers, but they require
significantly higher initial cost and ongoing maintenance
of their associated electronic and power systems.
4.2 Foundation vibration isolation methods
Foundation vibration isolation include inner balancing in
machines, isolation by location, stabilization of soils, use
of structural measures and seismic mountings.
4.2.1 Inner balancing in machines
4.2.1.1 Counter Balancing
A pre-requisite for smooth running of machine is to
minimize eccentricities. With substantial eccentricities,
the resulting centrifugal forces may cause harmful
vibrations in the machines and their
foundations. The aim of balancing is to minimize the
eccentricity of the centre of gravity of rotating parts.
4.2.1.1.1 Rotary Balancing
Unsatisfactory rotary balance may occur when axis of
rotation does not coincide with its main axis of
inertia. This results in generation of unbalanced
centrifugal forces and deviation moments.
4.2.1.1.1.1 Single-plane (Static) Balancing
Balancing achieved by means of counter-force is called
static balancing. If the axial dimension of the rotating part
is considerably smaller than its diameter, a satisfactory
result can be achieved, even with high operating speed,
by static balancing alone. Static imbalance can be
corrected by removing mass at the angular position of the
heavy spot or by adding mass opposite to its position.
4.2.1.1.1.2 Two-plane (Dynamic) Balancing
Balancing achieved by means of counter-moment is
referred to as dynamic balancing. When axial dimension
of a rotor is not small in comparison to its diameter, the
rotor could be considered to be made up of large number
of discs side by side each having its own static imbalance.
In this, imbalance can be corrected by adding masses in
two planes, details of which can be found out by principles
of mechanics.
4.2.1.1.2 Reciprocating Balancing
Here, unbalanced inertial forces can be resolved into two
components, one in direction of piston motion
and the other perpendicular to the piston motion. There
are two methods of inner balancing in reciprocating
machines.
1. It is possible to counter-balance completely a
component in the direction perpendicular to the piston
motion and partly a component in the direction of piston
motion.
2. The dimensions of counter weights and their distances
form axis of rotation may be selected to counter-balance
completely the first harmonic of the component exciting
forces in the direction of piston motion. Then the
component in the perpendicular direction will increase.
Usually, the first method is employed for the counter-
balancing of the engines, because the stress in the engine
itself is smaller than those occurring when the other
method is used. Another advantage of the first method is
that it requires smaller counterweights.
4.2.2 Isolation by Location
By proper location of vibration causing machinery,
effective isolation can be obtained. Following are
various method of isolation by location.
4.2.2.1 Remote location
If the specific area is to be protected from vibration and if
vibration source is known, then consideration
could be given to reducing vibration level in the area to be
protected, by positioning the two locations sufficiently
apart. This technique relies upon the natural decay or
attenuation of vibration amplitude with distance. The
amplitude of particular interest is that of surface Rayleigh
wave which contains the major part of wave energy.
4.2.2.2 Geologic formation
It is possible to select a site for sensitive structure or
instruments by taking advantage of basic geological
formations. Foundations on sound, deep-seated bedrock
will experience smaller vibration amplitudes than
foundations on weathered materials or soils subjected to
same excitation.
4.2.2.3 Layout of machine and equipment
This involves consideration of relative locations of the
sources and receivers of the vibrations in the building as a
whole. Favourable location for the vibration sources,
particularly large machines, is at the basement or the
ground level, because the structural response increases
with the height of vibration source above the ground. A
major consideration is the need to avoid magnification of
amplitudes by resonance. The need to locate the vibration
sources where they will cause minimal structural response
must be considered in conjunction with the desire to have
them remote from vibration sensitive areas.
4.2.3 Stabilization of Soils
If foundation rests on sandy soil, in order to decrease
vibrations, chemical or cement stabilization of soil under
the foundation may be used. Such soil stabilization will
result in an increase in the rigidity of base and
consequently, in an increase in the natural frequency of
the foundation. So, this method is very much effective
when natural frequency of foundation on known
stabilized soil is higher than the operational frequency of
the engine, which usually is the case. An increase in
rigidity will increase still further the difference between
frequency of natural vibrations and frequency of the
engine; consequently, amplitude of foundation vibration
will decrease.
When foundation resting on natural soil has natural
frequency smaller than the operational frequency of
engine, soil stabilization may cause an increase in the
amplitude of vibrations. This may be undesirable if the soil
is stabilized to such a degree that frequency of natural
vibration of foundation merely approaches the
operational frequency. But, if a soil is thoroughly stabilized
and natural frequency of foundation becomes much
higher than the operational frequency of the engine, then
such soil stabilization results in considerable decrease in
amplitude of vibrations.
The character of vibrations determines the limits of
stabilized zones of soil and their shapes. For example, for
a foundation subjected mainly to rocking vibrations about
an axis passing through the centroid of the base contact
area, only a portion of the soil near the edges of
foundation needs to be
stabilized and it is not necessary to stabilize the soil under
the entire foundation.
4.2.4 Structural measures
Structural measures are applied with the purpose of
changing natural frequencies of foundation in such a way
as to achieve the largest possible difference between
them and operational frequency of the engine. Isolation
can be achieved by increasing base area or mass of the
foundation, by attaching a slab to the foundation, and by
using auxiliary spring-mass system.
For under-tuned foundation whose natural frequency is
lower than the operating frequency, it is better to
decrease still more the natural frequency by increasing
the foundation mass without enlarging its area of contact.
If the operating frequency of the machine is less than the
natural frequency of foundation, as in case of
reciprocating engine, structural measures are directed
towards increasing the natural frequencies of foundation.
This can be achieved by increasing foundation contact
area and its moment of inertia, as well as by increasing the
rigidity of its base by means of piles. A slab resting on soil,
attached to foundation can be used to decrease the
amplitude of rocking and horizontal vibrations. If a
vibrating foundation lies close to another foundation, it
may be helpful to connect the two foundations so as to
increase the rigidity as a whole. The use of auxiliary spring
mass system attached to the main system to dampen its
vibrations may be limited due to unhealthy vibrations that
may be occurring in the auxiliary system itself. The use of
structural measures requires long interruption in
operation of engines and considerable expense of funds
and material.
4.2.5 Seismic Mountings
Seismic mountings are in the form of auxiliary spring-
mass-dashpot systems and act as vibration absorbers
reducing transmissibility either to the foundation of the
machinery or to sensitive equipment.
The ratio of force transmitted to the foundation through
absorbers to the vibratory force developed by foundation
is known as transmissibility ratio (Tr). When frequency
ratio (r) varies from 0 to 2, greater the amount of
damping, lesser is Tr, which is always greater than unity.
When frequency ratio (r) varies from 2 to infinity, greater
the amount of damping, greater is Tr, which is always less
than unity. Therefore, damping is favourable in the first
range and unfavourable in the second range. In order to
have low value of Tr, the operating range is generally kept
far away in the second range. Under these circumstances,
zero damping is ideally suitable, as this will give extremely
low value of Tr.
Since, the system has to pass through the resonance zone
(0.5 < r < 2.0) in reaching the operating point
and zero damping will cause high Tr, though for a small
moment, therefore, some amount of damping has to be
introduced into the system at the cost of higher Tr at the
operating point. Hence for effective
isolation, natural frequency of isolated system should be
as low as possible in relation to the forcing frequency. For
systems operating in first range at very low value of
frequency ratio, higher damping will give lesser
transmissibility, but it is always greater than unity.
Therefore, it is not desirable. It is recommended that the
frequency ratio should be at least equal to two in all cases
of vibration isolation.
Absorber for machines can be in the form of a single coil
spring, which fits into the adjusting slab. For reciprocating
engines of medium and high capacities, absorbers
containing several springs are used. Rubber absorbers
may also be employed for light engines and devices.
Depending upon the balance of the engine and its
operational requirements, supporting and suspension
type springs may be used for vibration isolation of
foundations.
4.2.6 Isolation by Barriers
Most of the vibratory energy affecting structures is carried
by surface (Rayleigh) wave that propagates in the zone
close to the ground surface. It is possible to reduce ground
vibrations significantly by placing a suitable wave barrier
in the ground before the structure. Open trenches, in-
filled (concrete or bentonite) trenches, sheet pile walls,
 concrete core walls or even row of piles can be effective
wave barriers.
The concept of isolation by wave barriers is based on
reflection, scattering and diffraction of wave energy.
Wave barriers may consist in general of solid, fluid or void
zone in the ground. At solid to solid interface, both P-
waves and S-waves are transmitted, at solid to fluid
boundary, only P-waves are transmitted and at solid to
void interface, no waves are transmitted.
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References
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