a b s t r a c tLow-frequency structures, such as footbridges and long-span floors, are often sensitive to variations in dynamic loading induced by pedestrians. As a result, the design of these structures using traditional deterministic approaches is being replaced by stochastic load models that can accommodate different styles of walking. To inform development and facilitate wider implementation of the new stochastic approaches, a database of experimental data characterising both inter-and intra-subject variability of gait parameters is required. This study aims to contribute to the development of such a database by providing a set of data for walking over rigid level surfaces. The motion capture system Vicon was used for simultaneous monitoring of the kinematic and kinetic gait parameters. Ten test subjects walking at 13 different speeds participated in the experimental programme. Novel experimental data on pacing rate, step length, step width, angular positions of the legs and the trunk, and the force amplitude were collected and statistically characterised. The acquired data are suitable for calibration of the bipedal pedestrian models intended for civil engineering applications.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Bipedal models for walkers, originally developed in the research field of biomechanics, have been identified as potential candidates for modelling pedestrians in structural engineering applications. These models provide insight into both the kinetics and kinematics of walking locomotion and are considered to have a significant potential to improve the vibration serviceability assessment of civil engineering structures. Despite this notion, the ability of the bipedal models to represent the key features of the walking gait and natural variability within the pedestrian population are still under-researched. This paper critically evaluates the performance of two bipedal models with rigid legs to realistically both reproduce key features of an individual pedestrian’s walking gait and represent a wide range of individuals. The evaluation is performed for walking on a rigid, rather than vibrating, structure due to the availability of experimental data and expectation that successful modelling on rigid surfaces is a necessary condition for progressing towards modelling on the vibrating structures. Ready-to-use equations are provided and the ability of the models to represent the kinematics and kinetics of individual pedestrians as well as the inter-subject variability typical of the human population is critically evaluated. It was found that the two models could generate realistic combinations of the gait parameters and their correlations, but are less successful in reproducing genuine kinetic and kinematics profiles.

Within the scope of assessment of deteriorating R/C structures, the paper proposes analytical models for the strength of corroded reinforced concrete beams: bending, shear, and bond are considered. Strut and tie models are adapted to include the corrosion effects on geometry, material properties and the load-resisting mechanism; uniform corrosion and pitting are considered. The Model Code 2010 provisions for bond and its deterioration due to low and medium corrosion levels are used for the verification of the models against experimental data of simply supported beams under 3 or 4-point flexure, showing different modes of failure. The innovative contributions are the consideration of bond deterioration effects in the models, with different shear span-to-depth ratios, and the comparison with tests from different campaigns in the literature, using either natural corrosion, environmental corrosion under load or slow artificial corrosion.

No abstract