Dynamic Response Monitoring And Correlation To Crowd Movement At A Football Stadium

Stadium events can create a boisterous environment and the increasing enthusiasm of the crowd may cause excessive vibration in the structure. If the movement of the crowd is coordinated, e.g. a song played in the stadium, the level of the vibration might get higher than the acceptable limits. Therefore, stadiums should be carefully investigated for their vibration characteristics to mitigate problems caused by the excessive vibration. In this study, results of a field monitoring study of a football stadium are presented. Vibration levels of the main structural members of the stadium during different football games are investigated. Incidences that cause excessive vibration (touchdown, popular songs, interception etc.) are identified. Comparative evaluation of the data by referring to the data sets coming from different stadiums during various events is also presented. Finally, recommendations based on the results are given. © 2009 Society for Experimental Mechanics Inc