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Vibration screening by trench barriers, a review

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Abstract

This paper provides a review of various investigations concerned with vibration isolation using trench barriers and factors affecting their performance, also extracts design recommendations, because there is no exact conclusion of researches in this field. Vibrations induced by different sources can be seriously harmful to structures and occupants. Geometrical parameters, soil characteristics, and filling material properties can affect a barrier’s performance. Investigators have applied analytical approach, finite element, boundary element, experimental, and field studies to identify relevant factors. Various geometrical parameters affecting trench’s isolation level were examined, among which depth of trench was found to be the most important, but in most cases, the width of the trench and source-barrier distance have a low effect. Shear-wave velocity ratio of filling material and surrounding soil has the most significant role of all material properties. Using high-energy-absorbing materials can lead to better isolation. The majority of studies consider soil and filling material’s behavior to be elastic, so changes in loading amplitude have no effect on vibration reduction. Finally, among special cases in vibration isolation by trenches, non-rectangular and multiple ones found to be economically satisfying and well-isolating barriers.

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Abbreviations

λ R :

is the Rayleigh wavelength.

A r :

is the vibration amplification reduction factor.

A rh :

is the horizontal velocity amplitude reduction factor.

A rv :

is the vertical velocity amplitude reduction factor.

Vs:

is the shear-wave velocity.

D d or d :

is the normalized depth of trench.

W d :

is the normalized width of trench.

L :

is the normalized source-barrier distance.

V b/V s :

is the shear-wave velocity ratio of infill material to surrounding soil.

E b/E s :

is Young’s modulus ratio of barrier to surrounding soil.

β :

is the maximum acceleration reduction.

VRMS − TR :

is the root mean square of vertical velocity component with presence of trench.

V RMS − NTR :

is the root mean square of vertical velocity component without presence of trench.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iran University of science and technology, Tehran, Iran

    Ehsan Mahdavisefat, Aliakbar Heshmati, Hossein Salehzadeh, Hamed Bahmani & Mohsen Sabermahani

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  1. Ehsan Mahdavisefat
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  2. Aliakbar Heshmati
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  3. Hossein Salehzadeh
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  4. Hamed Bahmani
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Correspondence to Ehsan Mahdavisefat.

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Mahdavisefat, E., Heshmati, A., Salehzadeh, H. et al. Vibration screening by trench barriers, a review. Arab J Geosci 10, 513 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3279-3

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