A seismic metamaterial concept with very short resonators using depleted uranium

Abstract

Depleted uranium (DU) is a metal of very high mass density and, other than a few specialized uses, is treated as a waste product of the uranium enrichment process. To take advantage of its high mass density, we propose a novel application of this metal in elastic/seismic metamaterials. Such use can not only broaden the range of design possibilities for elastic metamaterials but can also give more meaning to the disposition of DU. Five different design concepts are modeled and analyzed using numerical techniques. The band structure comparison of the concepts shows that very low-frequency band gaps in the range of seismic wave frequencies can be achieved with very simple configurations, smaller geometries, and feasible placing arrangements.