Centrifuge Model Testing of Foam Concrete-Sand Composite Vibration Isolation Barriers Under Metro Station Vibration
Centrifuge Model Testing of Foam Concrete-Sand Composite Vibration Isolation Barriers Under Metro Station Vibration
ABSTRACT: Traffic-induced vibration has become a growing concern due to its environmental impacts in densely populated urban areas. In particular, vibrations generated by subway operations can adversely affect residents' daily life, industrial activities, and high-precision experiments, highlighting the need for effective mitigation measures. To achieve a balance between cost efficiency and vibration reduction performance, this study proposes the use of composite barriers made of foam concrete and sand mixtures at varying proportions as vibration isolation measures. These barriers are positioned 10 cm away from the metro tunnel, and their performance is evaluated through centrifuge modeling tests. Four mixture ratios were investigated: one-third foam concrete mixed with two-thirds medium sand, one-half foam concrete mixed with one-half medium sand, two-thirds foam concrete mixed with one-third medium sand, and full foam concrete filling. The objective is to identify the optimal configuration for mitigating vibrations induced by metro operations. The results indicate that vibration isolation effectiveness gradually decreases as the proportion of foam concrete declines. The fully foam concrete-filled barrier achieves the best vibration isolation performance, with a vibration levels reduction of 7.8 dB before and after isolation. Notably, the barrier with 2/3 foam concrete filling retains approximately 86% of the vibration isolation effectiveness of the fully filled configuration, offering a promising compromise that ensures high isolation efficiency while significantly reducing project costs.
Ye Jiang; Xianfeng Ma; R. H. Zhang; Haihua Zhang; Changan Sun
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 7: Geotechnical seismic isolation based on sustainable geomaterials
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-337