Novel experimental characterisation of human-induced loading

State-of-the-art facilities for measuring human-induced dynamic forces comprise typically equipment for direct force measurement, made of a single or several force plates and an instrumented treadmill mounted on a rigid laboratory floor. Artificial laboratory conditions and constraints imposed by the direct measurement systems, such as small measuring area of a force plate and constant speed of rotation of a treadmill belt, can exert a strong influence on human ability to move naturally, and hence may alter corresponding ground reaction forces. However, when dealing with issues like vibration serviceability of real full-scale structures such as grandstands, floors and footbridges, there is a growing need to estimate loads applied directly by occupants under a wider range of conditions in outdoor environments. This paper thus presents a novel method to utilise 'free field' measurement of human-induced excitation continuously in time using motion capturing technology. Such data are crucial for establishing a new generation of mathematical models of dynamic forces generated by individuals and groups of people when bouncing, jumping, walking, etc. © 2009 Society for Experimental Mechanics Inc.