Spectator comfort in grandstands - an alternative approach

摘要

With increasing pressure on designers to deliver elegant, efficient solutions it is more important than ever that design guidance is tailored to the needs of the user. Current UK guidance for the Dynamic Performance Requirements for Permanent Grandstands Subject to Crowd Action, issued by the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2008, provides two methods for designing stadia for spectator comfort. The first is a broad-brush frequency limit approach, which aims to minimise large vibrations by avoiding resonance. The second method uses detailed analysis to calculate the likely accelerations that spectators will experience at various types of event. These accelerations are then compared against the serviceability criteria provided. Although much research has been carried out on how best to predict the accelerations generated by synchronised crowd loading, the corresponding serviceability criteria are based on limited published research. This paper uses stadia-specific human perception data, collected experimentally at the University of Bath, to challenge the currently published Institution of Structural Engineers guidance from 2008. It also proposes a new approach to specifying human comfort thresholds in permanent grandstands which allows greater user flexibility and choice.