Attenuation of Building Vibration Using Periodic Foundations

Periodic structures exhibit a unique dynamic characteristic called band of frequency gap, which lends a new insight into the isolation of engineering vibration. Based on the theory of elasto-dynamics, the band of frequency gaps of one-dimensional (1D) layered periodic structure and two-dimensional (2D) periodic structure is studied by using the differential quadrature method and finite element method. The periodicity is taken into account by introducing Bloch-Floquet theorem. To investigate the vibration isolation effects of periodic structures, three different periodic foundations are then designed. Simulations demonstrate that periodic foundations can greatly reduce the dynamic response of upper structures under both vertical and longitudinal ground motion. Therefore, this work offers a new view in application of periodic foundations in civil engineering.