Finite element simulations of wave propagation in soils using a Viscoelastic model

• Investigate viscoelastic model to simulate wave propagation using finite element analysis.
• Link stiffness and damping parameters from laboratory tests to constitutive model.
• Propose relationships for parameters of the viscoelastic model.
• Verify proposed relationships for wave propagation in half-space.

Wave propagation in soil is dependent on both the stiffness and the material damping of the soil. While some researchers have performed finite element modelling of resonant column tests and wave propagation in soil, most do not describe the methodology in detail and there is little or no verification of the correctness of the model. Viscoelastic model has been used to model wave propagation in soil. However, the determination of the parameters in the viscoelastic model is complicated and the parameters may not be related to the soil properties. This paper presents a simplified viscoelastic model with soil parameters obtainable from advanced geotechnical testing to simulate wave propagation in soil medium taking into account of material damping. The viscoelastic material model was first calibrated by replicating torsional, longitudinal and flexural modes resonant column tests. The relationships between the parameters of the simplified viscoelastic model and their corresponding stiffness and damping properties were investigated. An equation was proposed to correlate the decay constant used in the simplified viscoelastic model and the material damping ratio obtained through the application of the logarithmic decrement method on the modelled resonant column test results. The simplified viscoelastic model was then evaluated by modelling wave propagation in a semi-infinite medium. Results indicated that the viscoelastic model with parameters as proposed in this paper is able to model wave propagation in soils.