FULL-SCALE MEASUREMENTS OF THE DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BUILDINGS IN THE UK

This paper is concerned with the dynamic characteristics of buildings, especially with the measurement of damping. It describes the methods employed by BRE for testing buildings and presents reliable methods of assessing damping from forced vibration tests. Other methods of deter mining damping are also mentioned and some of their limitations discus sed. Data from measurements on 16 buildings in the UK are then given. Next the subject of soil-structure interaction is considered, the resu lts from four buildings are presented and the effects of the interacti on evaluated. Finally the subject of non-linear behaviour is discussed and measured characteristics from vibration tests are considered. Bec ause the range of amplitudes of vibration measured on buildings is lim ited, examples from tests examining the non-linear characteristics of two other structures are presented.