Modeling the Mitigation of Ground-Borne Vibrations Using Sub-Surface Resonators via a Coupled ITM-FEM Approach

This work presents a modeling approach to investigate the effectiveness of subsurface resonator arrays embedded in spherical indentations near the soil’s surface as a mitigation strategy for ground-borne vibrations. These resonating structures, acting as seismic metamaterials, reduce vibrations at their resonance frequency. Through this, the system can effectively reduce vibrations compared to other methods in the transmission system. In the scope of this contribution, a 3D coupled Integral Transform Method (ITM) and Finite Element Method (FEM) approach is introduced and extended. The ITM provides analytical solutions for fundamental systems, including a half-space and a full-space with a spherical cavity, where the solutions account for the infinite extent of the surrounding soil. The superposition of these solutions leads to a more complex system comprising a half-space with multiple spherical cavities or indentations. The resulting stiffnesses of the total system in the wavenumber-frequency domain are coupled to the stiffnesses of the conventional FEM at each spherical surface. This allows for the embedding of arbitrarily complex structures within the soil near-field. With the extension to multiple cavities or indentations, the method allows for simultaneously modeling both the mitigation measure and the structure to be protected. The resulting hybrid method offers an efficient framework for investigating the full Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) problem. Simulation results demonstrate the vibration attenuation achieved by the resonator arrays, showcasing the potential of this method for applications in the control and mitigation of environmental vibrations.     «

This work presents a modeling approach to investigate the effectiveness of subsurface resonator arrays embedded in spherical indentations near the soil’s surface as a mitigation strategy for ground-borne vibrations. These resonating structures, acting as seismic metamaterials, reduce vibrations at their resonance frequency. Through this, the system can effectively reduce vibrations compared to other methods in the transmission system. In the scope of this contribution, a 3D coupled Integral Tran...     »