Verifica delle passerelle pedonali nei confronti delle azioni antropiche: confronto tra approcci normativi

This paper aims at pointing out some misconceptions concerning the evaluation of the walking-induced dynamic response of footbridges. First, a review of the existing design procedures is briefly presented. Then the response of prototype steel footbridges with different spans, designed according to the Italian Code (NTC 2008) is evaluated under different loading scenarios, using the procedures proposed by different Standards and Guidelines and compared with allowable comfort levels. Comparison showed a very large scatter of the results, revealing a low consistency of the procedures and underlining a clear need for their critical revision. Finally, limitations and advantages of some of the procedures are pointed out.