PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF WAVE IMPEDANCE BARRIERS FOR GROUND VIBRATION ISOLATION: EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the isolation efficiency of horizontal wave impedance barriers (WIBs) installed beneath the soil and subjected to vertical dynamic loading, through numerical analyses and field experiments. A numerical model was developed using a two-dimensional finite element-based software to simulate the site conditions following the experiments. Once validated with field test data, the model was used to conduct a parametric study examining the influence of length, thickness, and stiffness of the wave barrier on vibration mitigation effectiveness. The results show that WIBs are capable of reducing vibrations, particularly at mid-range and lower frequencies. Increasing the size and stiffness of the barrier improves vibration attenuation efficiency, while using softer material may reduce effectiveness or even cause amplification beyond a certain threshold. These findings demonstrate that properly designed WIBs offer a promising solution for vibration isolation, especially when optimized for specific soil conditions and excitation characteristics. To develop reliable and effective design recommendations, it is necessary to broaden the scope of the current study. It must be considered that barriers with inadequate design may lead to amplification of vibrations instead of mitigation. Further research is recommended to examine more complex soil conditions, wider frequency ranges, and varied barrier configurations.

Keywords

• Vibration isolation
• Wave impedance barrier
• Field experiment
• Numerical simulation
• Dynamic loading

ZEMİN TİTREŞİM İZOLASYONU İÇİN DALGA EMPEDANS BARİYERLERİNİN PERFORMANS DEĞERLENDİRMESİ: DENEYSEL DOĞRULAMA VE SAYISAL İNCELEME

Abstract

Bu araştırma, yatay olarak zemine gömülü ve düşey dinamik yüke maruz kalan dalga empedans bariyerlerinin (WIB) izolasyon etkinliğini, sayısal analizler ve saha deneyleri yoluyla incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Deneylerin ardından, saha koşullarını simüle etmek için iki boyutlu sonlu elemanlar tabanlı bir yazılım kullanılarak bir sayısal model geliştirilmiştir. Model, saha verileriyle doğrulandıktan sonra, bariyerin uzunluğu, kalınlığı ve rijitliğinin titreşim azaltma etkinliği üzerindeki etkisini incelemek amacıyla parametrik bir çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, dalga empedans bariyerlerinin özellikle orta ve düşük frekanslarda titreşimleri azaltmada etkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Bariyerin boyutu ve rijitliği arttıkça sönümleme verimliliği artmakta, ancak daha yumuşak malzeme kullanımı belli bir eşik değerinin ötesinde etkinliği azaltmakta veya büyütmeye neden olabilmektedir. Bu bulgular, yerel zemin koşulları ve uyarım özelliklerine göre optimize edildiğinde, doğru tasarlanmış dalga empedans bariyerlerinin titreşim izolasyonu için umut verici bir çözüm sunduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Güvenilir ve etkili tasarım önerileri geliştirmek için mevcut çalışmanın kapsamının genişletilmesi gerekmektedir. Yetersiz tasarlanmış bariyerlerin, sönümleme yerine titreşim büyütmesine yol açabileceği unutulmamalıdır. Bu nedenle, daha karmaşık zemin koşulları, geniş frekans aralıkları ve farklı bariyer konfigürasyonlarının incelendiği ek araştırmalar önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Titreşim izolasyonu
• Dalga empedans bariyeri
• Saha deneyi
• Sayısal modelleme
• Dinamik yükleme

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