A remote monitoring system for stadia dynamics

This paper describes a remote monitoring system that has been developed to acquire large quantities of high-quality in-service vibration data to be used in the development of enhanced guidance for stadia dynamics. The system measures structural accelerations, video of crowd activities and other environmental data. The system is controllable via a broadband internet connection and the data can also be downloaded remotely. It was installed at Valley Parade, Bradford for a period of more than 12 months during which time data were acquired from 20 football and nine rugby matches. A cursory examination of these data has shown that the crowd affects the natural frequencies and damping of the structure and that the changes depend on the configuration of the crowd (seated, standing, etc.). It is anticipated that the data acquired on this and other structures will ultimately be used to understand better the nature of crowd–structure dynamic interaction and the dynamic forces produced by crowds.