A coupled MFS–FEM model for 2-D dynamic soil–structure interaction in the frequency domain

•A frequency domain model, adequate for soil–structure interaction, is developed.•FEM and MFS are used to model the interaction of a structure with an infinite soil.•The coupled model allows independent discretizations for both methods.•Accurate and convergent results are obtained in two test cases.•Applications in tunnel–soil dynamic interaction confirm applicability of the model.

In this paper, the authors present a frequency domain coupled model making use of the Finite Element Method (FEM) and of the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS) in order to address soil–structure interaction problems. In this model, the MFS is used to account for the presence of an infinite soil surrounding an elastic structure, which is modeled using the FEM. Application examples concerning the vibration introduced in an infinite soil by a dynamic load acting within a tunnel are presented, in order to illustrate the usefulness and practical applicability of the method.