Laboratory study on response of underwater cohesive sediment to columnar vibration source

Abstract

Abstract This paper investigates the responses of cohesive sediment to mechanical vibration by experimental observation, containing: (1) the dynamic soil pressure, dynamic pore water pressure and dynamic acceleration to the vibration source; (2) the soil pressure distribution in the near field centered in an artificial columnar vibration source. Under the mechanical vibration with a frequency of 200 Hz and an amplitude of 1.15 mm, the dynamic soil pressure, dynamic pore water pressure and dynamic acceleration of underwater viscous sediment were measured in the sediment of four different depositing conditions. Results of the dynamic soil pressure, dynamic pore water pressure and dynamic acceleration of underwater viscous sediment in the near field responding to artificial vibration source are exhibited and discussed. It is found that, excited by the sinusoidal vibrator, the soil pressure presents a response of statistical sinusoidal fluctuation with the same frequency to the vibration source. In the sediment of lower initial yield stresses, the soil pressure distribution distinctly tends to firstly increase and then decrease with distance. The amplitude of the soil pressure is attenuated exponentially with distance.