Ground vibration attenuation performance of surface walls

Abstract

This article presents a numerical study on the ground vibration attenuation performance of surface walls. A coupled IBEM–FEM model is derived for this analysis, in which long walls are modeled with classical finite elements, while the soil is modeled as a 2D, transversely isotropic half-space. The presented boundary element-based scheme yields accurate representation of energy propagation and scattering mechanisms through the soil, which are essential in this analysis. An extensive list of numerical results is presented on the attenuation performance of the wall for horizontal and vertical vibration of different target points of the soil surface, considering seismic and surface-load excitation, as well as various constitutive and geometric parameters of the wall and soil. The results show that wider, stiffer, heavier walls do not necessarily provide better attenuation. Optimal performances can be obtained for specified target points and excitation type and frequency by selecting walls with specific vibration modes and installation points.