Vibration and sound signatures of human footsteps in buildings

The acoustic signature of a footstep is one of several signatures that can be exploited for human recognition. Early research showed the maximum value for the force of multiple footsteps to be in the frequency band of 1-4 Hz. This paper reports on the broadband frequency-dependent vibrations and sound pressure responses of human footsteps in buildings. Past studies have shown that the low-frequency band (below 500 Hz) is well known in the literature, and generated by the force normal to the ground/floor. The seismic particle velocity response to footsteps was shown to be site specific and the characteristic frequency band was 20-90 Hz. In this paper, the high-frequency band (above 500 Hz) is investigated. The high-frequency band of the vibration and sound of a human footstep is shown to be generated by the tangential force to the floor and the floor reaction, or friction force. The vibration signals, as a function of floor coverings and walking style, were studied in a broadband frequency range. Different walking styles result in different vibration signatures in the low-frequency range. However, for the walking styles tested, the magnitudes in the high-frequency range are comparable and independent of walking style.