Michael Willford, Arup, London, UK, & Caroline Field, Arup, San Francisco, USA

ABSTRACT

The development of sophisticated semiconductor technologies requires ultralow vibration research and production environments. Human footfall is a significant source of vibration, and if its effects are not assessed accurately during the design of a  facility, the workspaces may be rendered unusable for sensitive equipment. In view of the importance of achieving an adequately low vibration environment in modern facilities it is perhaps surprising that the design methods employed by most structural and vibration engineers comprise very simple and semiempirical hand calculations based on research available in the 1970s.