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

Authors : Selda Durmaz Demir, Deniz Ülgen

Pages : 21-28

Doi:10.22531/muglajsci.1745488

View : 47 | Download : 164

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

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 : Titreşim izolasyonu, Dalga empedans bariyeri, Saha deneyi, Sayısal modelleme, Dinamik yükleme

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