Abstract The use of high‐strength materials in building construction has resulted in thinner and lighter sections of structural elements. Such design practices have made reinforced concrete slabs prone to walking‐induced vibration under normal operational conditions. Solid reinforced concrete slab systems are commonly applied in building systems where walking‐induced vibration might be a common issue. Despite being a ubiquitous slab system, no guideline has been developed for such slab systems that could circumvent the walking‐induced vibration discomfort or predict the vibration resulting from walking‐induced excitation. The present study aims to fill this research gap by conducting a finite element investigation for a non‐synchronized multiple‐person walking‐induced vibration on solid reinforced concrete floor panels. A modal time history analysis is conducted, which has been validated against past experimental research. The peak acceleration response due to the walking‐induced vibration has been compared against design guide limits on minimum slab thickness and allowable acceleration limits. The findings reveal that existing design guidelines may fall short of mitigating such walking‐induced vibration from realistic non‐synchronized multiple‐person walking. Stringent limitations for residential use result in greater slab thickness than commercial spaces, where the limitations are more relaxed. Based on the observations, a minimum slab thickness has been proposed for varying span lengths, which could mitigate such vibration discomfort.
Zahid et al. (Fri,) studied this question.