Dynamic Behavior of a Suspended Steel Space Frame-Glass Composite Floor

This study investigates the dynamic performance of a large-span suspended steel space frame-glass composite floor (SSSF-GCF). Both the ambient vibration and the human-induced vibration of the floor were experimentally measured to identify vertical dynamic characteristics and evaluate vibration serviceability of the floor. Although vertical dynamic characteristics of the floor based on the global simplified finite element (FE) model of the structure agree well with those identified via experimental modal analysis, the global simplified FE model significantly underestimates vertical vibration amplitudes of the floor due to the coupled effect between two layers. Accordingly, an equivalent local FE model of the floor system was proposed and updated via adjusting the vertical stiffness of the interstory hanging pillars. It is shown that the equivalent local FE model can well predict both the dynamic characteristics and human-induced vibration response of the floor. Finally, the effect of the damping ratio on the acceleration response of the floor was numerically demonstrated with the verified local FE model.