Use of in-filled trenches to screen ground vibration due to impact pile driving: experimental and numerical study

Vibration generated by pile driving can cause discomfort to occupants of nearby buildings and disturb the activities carried out in the buildings. The transmitted vibration will depend on both the source and the transmitting medium (soil), while the acceptable levels of vibration will depend on the receiver characteristics. Existing structures in which some sensitive processes are ongoing such as hospitals and laboratories can easily be affected due to the received vibration. Introducing a trench into the path of wave propagation has become one of the solutions. There is however little experimental data available on the effects of trenches to screen such ground borne vibration, especially that caused by pile driving. This paper describes a series of experiments conducted to investigate the characteristics of impact pile induced vibrations and the effect of coal bottom ash filled trenches to screen this vibration. In addition to experimental testing, numerical simulations are also carried out using validated model to examine the effects of in-fill material, impact load, soil characteristics and distance from the source to the trench on the vibration screening ability. The results of the field experiments and the numerical study are analysed and interpreted to provide guidelines for future research and design.