Perception scales for the vibration serviceability assessment of in-service glass walkways

The vibration performance of pedestrian structures attracts the attention of several researchers, especially with respect to unfavourable operational conditions or possible damage scenarios. Vibration comfort levels must be satisfied (in addition to basic safety requirements), depending on the given class of use, structural typology and involved materials. While existing guideline documents offer simplified Single-Degree-of-Freedom approaches, these methods are mostly calibrated for specific structural typologies (i.e., steel-concrete, timber, etc.). Dedicated methods are required for glass pedestrian systems, due to their intrinsic features (small thickness-to-size ratios, high flexibility, type and number of supports, live-to-dead load ratios, use of materials that are susceptible to mechanical degradation with time/temperature/humidity, etc.). In this context, “Pedestrian’s Perception Scales” specifically calibrated for glass can represent an efficient tool in support of a reliable vibration comfort assessment of in-service structures.