Integrating Force Plates Into a Laterally Oscillating Footbridge

This paper describes the design, construction, and calibration of a novel force plate intended for use in a laboratory footbridge. In 2013, a test regimen was undertaken where 19 participants walked across stable force plates at the Oxford Gait Lab. Following these tests, it was determined that the best way to understand the human-structure interactions of walking on a laterally oscillating surface would be to install force plates into such a surface, like an oscillating footbridge. Therefore, the present force plate was conceptualised, constructed and calibrated to record the lateral (side-to-side) forces produced by a walking individual while traversing a laterally oscillating laboratory footbridge. Preliminary trials suggest that a direct comparison can be made between the results produced from this force plate and the results obtained at the Oxford Gait Lab. With the success of this force plate, it is anticipated that the addition of three more force plates will provide researchers with a new perspective on human-structure interactions as they pertain to the lateral excitation of bridges.