A numerical model for ground-borne vibrations from underground railway traffic based on a periodic finite element-boundary element formulation

Geert Degrande (1) , Didier Clouteau (2) , Ramzi Othman (2) , Marteen Arnst (1) , Hamdi Chebli (2) , Ralf Klein (1) , Pranesh K Chatterjee (1) , B. Janssens (1)

1 KU Leuven - Catholic University of Leuven = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
2 MSSMat - Laboratoire de mécanique des sols, structures et matériaux

A numerical model is presented to predict vibrations in the free field from excitation due to metro trains in tunnels. The three-dimensional dynamic tunnel–soil interaction problem is solved with a subdomain formulation, using a finite element formulation for the tunnel and a boundary element method for the soil. The periodicity of the geometry in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel is exploited using the Floquet transform, limiting the discretization to a single-bounded reference cell. The responses of two different types of tunnel due to a harmonic load on the tunnel invert are compared, both in the frequency–wavenumber and spatial domains. The first tunnel is a shallow cut-and-cover masonry tunnel on the Paris metro network, embedded in layers of sand, while the second tunnel is a deep bored tunnel of London Underground, with a cast iron lining and embedded in the London clay.

Domaines: Mécanique [physics.med-ph]; Matériaux

Geert Degrande, Didier Clouteau, Ramzi Othman, Marteen Arnst, Hamdi Chebli, et al.. A numerical model for ground-borne vibrations from underground railway traffic based on a periodic finite element-boundary element formulation. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 2006, 293 (3-5), pp.645-666. ⟨10.1016/j.jsv.2005.12.023⟩. ⟨hal-01004923⟩