VibComfort: A software tool for evaluating human vibration comfort in sensitive buildings

Abstract

Recent advancements in construction technology have led to the increasingly frequent design of flexible structures, which are consequently more susceptible to vibrations from various sources, potentially impacting human comfort. The vibration comfort level of occupants is influenced by several factors, including the type of vibration source, building classification, vibration transmission medium, and human perception, making its assessment a complex process. To ensure buildings comply with human comfort prescriptions, it is critical to conduct an accurate evaluation of vibrations and identification of their sources. In this context, this work introduces VibComfort, a software tool to assess the effects of low-frequency vibrations on human comfort in urban environments. VibComfort is a MATLAB-based software application that offers an intuitive platform for signal visualization and processing, event selection, statistical analysis, long-term comfort monitoring, and verification against limits provided by the UNI9614-2017 standard. The potential of the developed platform is demonstrated with a case study of an administrative building of the University of Granada in Spain, adjacent to the metro line. To facilitate the identification of the vibration events, a camera was connected to the data acquisition system, allowing the identification of those triggered by metro passages. The vibrations induced by the subway were found to be significantly minimal, confirming a satisfactory level of comfort for the occupants. The presented platform lays groundwork for developing a fully automated comfort assessment system, representing a substantial advancement in the field of human comfort evaluation.