Three-dimensional analysis of the screening effectiveness of hollow pile barriers for foundation-induced vertical vibration

The study applies the three-dimensional boundary element method in frequency domain to investigate the screening effectiveness of circular piles in a row for a massless square foundation subject to harmonic vertical loading. Four types of piles were studied: steel pipe piles, concrete hollow piles, concrete solid piles and timber piles. A parametric study was undertaken to examine the effects of pile dimensions, operational frequency, and source distance on the screening effectiveness. The results showed that screening effectiveness of steel pipe piles is generally better than that of solid piles, and that a concrete hollow pile barrier can be ineffective due to its stiffness. The influence of pile length on screening effectiveness is more significant than that of pile spacing and the distance between the vibrating foundation and the pile barrier. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.