Analysis of Soil Differences in Subway Vibration Transmission Paths

Abstract

Current challenges in collecting and analyzing subway vibration data include the absence of standardized data collection methods, limitations in data analysis techniques, and an unclear understanding of the effects of geological conditions on vibrations. This study investigated vertical vibrations of tunnel walls and the ground above tunnels under different geological conditions of soft soil and rock strata at horizontal distances of 0, 15 m, and 30 m from the tunnel center line during train passages. The collected data underwent Fourier transformation and 1/3 octave processing to extract spectral characteristics and analyze transmission losses across different frequency bands. Our findings revealed two vibration peaks in the transmission process for both soft soil and rock formation geology. Specifically, high-frequency vibrations in soft soil experienced greater attenuation when transmitted from the tunnel wall to the ground at 0 m, while low-frequency vibrations in rock formations showed greater attenuation. We also observed a vibration amplification phenomenon at 15 m under soft soil geology conditions. Although low-frequency vibrations below 12.5 Hz showed slight attenuation within a 30 m test distance under both geological conditions, vibrations above 40 Hz experienced significant attenuation. These results offer valuable insights for reducing vibrations in subway superstructures and planning subway lines under diverse geological conditions. Furthermore, this study serves not only as a basis for mitigating vibrations in metro spans and designing metro lines in various geological contexts but also establishes a scientific foundation for future research.