Abstract Summary
Irregular interfaces between soil layers exist in the natural foundation. This paper proposes a thin layer method to calculate the three-dimensional (3D) ground vibration of layered soils with irregular interfaces by a moving load. Based on the double Fourier transform, the system governing equations in terms of the thin layer element for the elastic medium are obtained in the frequency-wavenumber domain; the stiffness matrices of the semi-infinite thin-layer element and the finite-length thin-layer element are derived through the modal superposition principle. The perfectly matched layers (PMLs) are subsequently introduced to simulate the wave propagation in the bottom half-space. Making use of the semi-infinite and the finite-length thin-layer elements as well as the PMLs, a calculation model is finally developed to obtain the 3D dynamic responses for a moving point load acting on a layered half-space with irregular interfaces. The accuracy of the proposed method is verified by comparing with the existing methods. Finally, the dynamic responses of the foundation with inclined layered interface induced by a moving harmonic load acting on the ground surface are investigated. The results show that the inclination of layer interfaces and the velocity of the moving load exhibits a significant effect on the ground vibration. The irregular interface needs to be considered in the evaluation of ground vibration generated by a moving load.
