Surface wave isolation by variable depth infilled trenches

Area of Science:

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Vibration Isolation
• Urban Planning

Background:

• Urban traffic generates environmental vibrations via surface waves.
• Surface waves affect nearby structures and residents.
• Periodic wave barriers are studied for vibration isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel approach for isolating surface waves using variable depth infilled trenches.
• To achieve efficient surface wave isolation with minimized material consumption.
• To investigate the effect of variable angle on isolation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Designing variable depth infilled trenches based on soil parameters and dominant frequencies.
• Solving eigenvalue equations using the finite element method (FEM) to derive dispersion relations and bandgaps.
• Developing a FEM model in COMSOL to simulate the soil-infilled trench system.

Main Results:

• Variable depth trenches demonstrate significant surface wave isolation efficiency (up to 92.5%).
• A 15° variable angle achieved high isolation within the 40-50 Hz range.
• Material usage was reduced by 34% compared to traditional designs.

Conclusions:

• Variable depth infilled trenches offer a cost-effective solution for urban traffic vibration isolation.
• The proposed design balances isolation efficiency with material reduction.
• This method presents a promising approach for mitigating environmental vibrations.