New guide enables high-quality performance of steel framed floors

The SCI is about to publish a revised version of its design guide on the vibration of floors.

Commonly referred to as P076, the guide was first published in 1989 and since then it has been widely used and its advice has generally stood the test of time.

However, vibration performance is now a major factor in building design, particularly with the use of lightweight composite floors, and the guidance needed to be updated.

The Second Edition offers the most up-to-date information on determining performance and appropriate acceptance criteria. The guidance has made reference to tests on a variety of real buildings – tests which dispel the myth that steel-framed floors don’t meet the appropriate performance standards.

A pre-publication draft of the publication was launched at the recent Corus hospitals seminar held in Durham on the 25 September and all those attending the London Corus hospitals seminar on 5 October will also receive a copy of the guide.

Paul Devine of the SCI said: “The guide provides design guidance for all floor and building types which use a structural steel frame. We’ve brought together all current information on vibration into one new Edition.”

Explanations within the publication include the different types of excitation produced by occupant-induced vibration, while a simple design procedure is featured which shows how to calculate the floor acceleration, weight it to reflect human perception and compare it with the acceptance levels.

The Second Edition, which is available for purchase from the end of October, was prepared by Dr Stephen Hicks and Paul Devine of the SCI.