Novel composite periodic structures with attenuation zones

Attenuation zones existing in periodic materials can serve as an effective vibration barrier for engineering structures. In this paper, the attenuation zones of two-dimensional composite periodic structures consisting of concrete, steel and rubber are investigated. It is found that attenuation zones in the low frequency region can be obtained in the considered periodic structures by proper design. Influences of geometrical parameters on the attenuation zones are investigated comprehensively. In addition, the reinforcing ratio is considered based on the equivalent principle of composite mechanics. For finite periodic structure, numerical results show that vibration attenuation is possible if the frequency range of an excitation falls within the attenuation zones, and vibration can be reduced significantly by using only three periodic units. Besides, numerical simulation also demonstrates that periodic structures are possible to be designed as a multi-directional seismic isolation foundation for civil engineering structures. The present work provides a new method for seismic/vibration control for engineering structures. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.