Assessment of a Vision-Based Technique to Estimate the Synchronization of Jumping Crowds in Civil Structures

Vibration serviceability criteria for civil structures follow a three-step framework, namely the excitation source, the path and the receiver. The first step, which is also the focus of this study, deals with the characterization of human-induced loads. However, the design models reported in the current guidance and codes are very often overly conservative and cannot adequately represent the real nature of crowd excitation. In this work, we present a computer vision technique, based on the use of Digital Image Correlation (DIC), as a solution to this problem. In addition to a cheap and an easy to install set up, the system can provide a comprehensive assessment of the coordinate motion induced by occupying crowds of various sizes. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method, the measured DIC data are compared to those coming from the accelerometers installed on multiple subjects while performing jumping activities on a real grandstand. Then, the vision-based approach is used to study and to quantify the level of synchronization among the individuals for a range of songs and metronome beats. Results demonstrate that the DIC technique achieves similar performance as the inertial sensors but overcomes some practical limitations related to these traditional systems.