Vibration mitigation of modular structures supported by ground-floor piloti

This study analyzed the floor vibration serviceability of a two-story modular building used as an educational facility. The floor vibration serviceability was evaluated through heel-drop tests, ambient vibration monitoring, and random walking tests. The building exhibited a lower than desired level of floor vibration performance. This was attributed to the building's unique configuration which featured gaps between the steel frame and modular unit beams, causing reliance mostly on the modular beams and resulting in greater floor flexibility. This study proposed retrofit designs to improve floor vibration serviceability. The design strategy applied in this study involved modular supports to strengthen connections between the steel frame beams and modular beams. The effectiveness of the retrofit was evaluated and confirmed through structural analyses and post-retrofit evaluation.