London Millennium Bridge: Pedestrian-Induced Lateral Vibration

The London Millennium Footbridge is located across the Thames River in Central London. At its opening on June 10, 2000, the bridge experienced pedestrian-induced lateral vibration. Observations on the day of opening and studies of video footage revealed up to 50 mm of lateral movement of the south span and 70 mm of the center span. The north span did not move substantially. The bridge was closed on June 12, 2000, pending an investigation into the cause of the unexpected lateral movements. This paper highlights the phenomenon of pedestrian-induced lateral vibration on footbridges and the current state of knowledge of the lateral loading effect. Modification of the bridge, introducing extensive passive damping, is currently underway with completion scheduled for the end of 2001.