Vibration analysis of orthotropic composite floors for human rhythmic activities

competitive world market trends have long been forcing structural engineers to develop minimum weight and labour cost solutions. a direct consequence of this design philosophy is a considerable increase in problems related to unwanted floor vibrations. this phenomenon is very frequent in a wide range of structures subjected to dynamical loads. the main objective of this paper is to evaluate an orthotropic solution for composite floors subjected to dynamical actions such as rhythmical activities arising from gymnastics, musical and sports events and ballroom dances. the proposed analysis methodology considers the investigation of the dynamic behaviour of a building floor made with a composite slab system with steel beams and an incorporated steel deck. the results indicated that the investigated composite floor violates the vibration serviceability limit state, but satisfied the human comfort criteria.