Mohr–Coulomb Models for Dynamic Analysis of Granular Metamaterials in Earthquake Engineering

Abstract

The Finite Element Analysis of Mohr–Coulomb models was used to study the effectiveness of adding a pad of granular metamaterials under the foundation to decrease influence of seismic shear waves. The FE model consists of a ten-story superstructure rested on the slab foundation, under which there is a layer of granular metamaterials. The values of five variables that affect the mechanical properties of these metamaterials have been analyzed (density—cohesion—internal friction angle—Young’s modulus—Poisson’s ratio) for two different pad thicknesses. The dynamic analysis performed using the software package Abaqus/CAE showed the effectiveness of the granular metamaterials in their ability to significantly reduce magnitudes of displacements, velocities and accelerations in the building compared to the same values in the absence of these metamaterials. The analysis also revealed that among the studied variables, the cohesion is the parameter most influencing the effectiveness of metamaterials in their ability to dissipate seismic waves, while no significant effect was observed for the other parameters.