A 2.5D hybrid SBM-MFS methodology for the evaluation of free-field vibrations induced by underground railway infrastructures

Abstract

In this paper, a new meshless methodology to predict underground railway-induced vibrations is presented. In contrast to previous approaches, the proposed method uses meshless methods to model both the railway tunnel structure and the wave propagation in the surrounding soil. The method has been evaluated in the framework of an example of railway-induced vibrations using a shell with a square cross-section, embedded in a homogeneous full-space. The method is verified against an analytical solution considering different types of boundary conditions and compared with the 2.5D FEM-SBM and the 2.5D FEM-BEM approaches in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. The presented comparisons illustrate that the proposed approach is a suitable strategy for predicting underground railway-induced vibrations, both in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. Moreover, the use of meshless approaches for modelling both tunnel and soil not only simplifies the implementation of the approach but also makes it easier to use. Consequently, the proposed approach is found to be a suitable alternative tool for the prediction of railway-induced vibrations.