A Review of Research on Human-Induced Vibration and Comfort of Pedestrian Bridges

Abstract

With the increasing prevalence of long-span, lightweight pedestrian bridges, the issue of human-induced vibration has become increasingly prominent. This problem not only affects user comfort but may even compromise structural safety. This paper first analyses the generation mechanisms and characteristics of human-induced vibrations. It then summarizes pedestrian load models, vibration response analysis methods, and comfort evaluation criteria, while discussing the effectiveness of vibration reduction design strategies. Research indicates that the acceleration response of footbridges exhibits an initial increase followed by a decrease as crowd density rises, and that comfort assessment requires comprehensive consideration of both physiological and psychological factors. Finally, it is emphasized that establishing load models tailored to the characteristics of the Chinese population and optimizing vibration reduction technologies represent key future development directions.