Vibration transmissions and predictions within low-rise buildings above throat area in the metro depot

Train-induced feelable vibrations can bring side effects to people living or working in the building, as well as to operation of precise equipment. As massive construction of over-track buildings above metro depots prevails in megacities, impacts from train-induced feelable vibration take more concern. Four standard-designed 4-story steel-framed offices above the throat area in the Qianhai metro depot in Shenzhen, China, are studied in this research. The field measurements were conducted to investigate the influences of track alignment and track location in the throat area on vibration responses of over-track buildings. Detailed vibration analyses using the finite element method have been conducted. Train-induced floor vibration assessments on human comfort are carried out based on a total of 54 train pass-bys operated in the morning and evening and on different tracks. It can be found that the track alignment primarily affected the higher frequency components of train-induced vibrations, where curved trackinduced vibrations have larger amplitudes. The variance of train-induced building vibrations among pass-bys on different track locations was reduced compared with that of ground vibrations because of the averaging effects caused by multiple transmitting paths within the massive platform and stiff transfer structures. Train-induced acceleration levels at mid-floor can be 20–25 dB larger than those near columns at floor resonance frequencies which are dependent on the structural design. This research gives a comprehensive insight into train-induced vibrations within low-rise steel-framed buildings above the throat area in the metro depot, which is a valuable reference for assessments before the construction of future similar over-track communities.

Floor vibrations for motivation and feedback in the rat vibration actuating search task

Motivating rodents to perform cognitive tasks often relies on the application of aversive stimuli. The Vibration Actuating Search Task (VAST) is a novel open-field task in which gradient floor vibration provides motivation for the rodent to navigate in the direction of diminishing vibration to an unmarked target destination. Using floor vibration as a motivational stimulus may overcome several of the potential confounds associated with stimuli used in other tasks. In a series of three experiments, we determined whether (1) rats exhibit place preference for floor vibration over other aversive stimuli (i.e., water, foot shock, and bright light), (2) exposure to floor vibration is associated with a lower corticosterone response than exposure to these other stimuli, (3) rats successfully acquire the VAST, and (4) VAST performance is sensitive to 6 h of sleep deprivation (SD). Our results showed that rats exhibited place preference for vibration over water, foot shock, and bright light environments, and that corticosterone levels were lower in rats exposed to vibration than those exposed to water. VAST performance also significantly improved over two days of testing for some metrics, and SD impaired VAST performance. Overall, we conclude that (1) rats exhibit place preference for vibration over other stimuli commonly used to motivate task performance, (2) the vibrations employed by the VAST produce lower concentrations of circulating corticosterone than forced swimming, (3) rats can learn to use gradient floor vibration as a mode of performance feedback within two days of testing, and (4) VAST performance is substantially impaired by SD. Thus, the VAST is an effective and practical testbed for studying the mechanisms by which SD causes deficits in feedback-dependent decision making.

Development of a virtual biomechanical manikin used in vibrations studies in occupied spaces

In this paper is developed and applied a virtual biomechanical manikin used in occupied spaces. This multi-nodal numerical model is applied in the vibrations of the different sections of the human body, under transient conditions. The integration of second order equations systems, based in Newton equation, after being converted in a first order equation system, is solved through the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method with error control. This multi-nodal numerical model will be used, in this work, in the study of the vibrations that a standing person is subjected when stimuli are applied to the feet. The influence of various types of stimuli is analyzed, with periodic irregularities, in the dynamic response of the vibrations in different sections of the human body. The signals of the stimuli, the displacement of some sections of the body and the power spectrum of the same signals will be presented. In the study the influence of the floor vibration in the human body sections is analyzed and presented.

Isolating an above grade MRI from traffic induced vibration

MRI installations require that ambient floor vibration levels not exceed limits defined by the manufacturer. In this study, vibration measurements for a second-floor installation exceeded the allowed levels. A road adjacent to the building experienced heavy traffic and was in poor condition with potholes and asphalt patches. The second-floor exhibited resonances in the same 8-15Hz frequency range as ground-borne vibration due to traffic close to the building. The MRI comes supplied with resilient pads that effectively isolate above 20 Hz. For isolation of the floor resonances excited by vehicular traffic, an additional stage of isolation pads was designed that lowered the system resonance frequency of the MRI on the floor to 6.5Hz. The added pads, with greater thickness and softer material, raised concerns of the MRI collapsing sideways like a thin, tall column above its critical buckling load. Lateral snubbers were incorporated where their compressive stiffness constrained the rails laterally and a low shear stiffness did not significantly increase the system resonance frequency. Vibration measured on the MRI after installation showed the novel system provided effective isolation of traffic induced vibration, satisfying vibration requirements for the MRI. Model predictions of MRI vibration relative to floor vibration agreed well with measurements.

Correction: Liu et al. Detection of Human Fall Using Floor Vibration and Multi-Features Semi-Supervised SVM. Sensors 2019, 19, 3720

The authors wish to add one reference [...]