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This study comprehensively explores the dynamic behavior of a slender slab due to the excitation of pedestrian traffic. Three kinds of excitation models are adopted to describe the vibration of the slab induced by pedestrians. A comparison of the structural responses shows that the bipedal model results in larger vibrations than the mass–spring–damper or pseudo-excitation models. Further research indicates that the pedestrians evidently alter the dynamic properties of the slab by affecting its frequency and damping capacity. The slab tends to be more flexible at a lower frequency as the pedestrian walks across its surface while its damping capacity is improved. In contrast, the slab can increase the frequency, while decreasing the damping of the pedestrian model. Thus, the slab also alters the properties of the pedestrians. In addition, an investigation of the bipedal model parameters indicates that the variations of the leg stiffness, damping, and body mass have distinct effects on the slab characteristics and vibrations. In order to assess the response of the slab to a crowd, a new simplified theory is introduced to describe the dynamic properties of the slab under multi-layout excitations, including human influences resulting from different body properties. The results of this study provide potential ways for understanding the vibratory mechanisms of slender structures such as footbridges, grandstands, or stations under crowd excitations.

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