Experimental validation of a numerical prediction model for free field traffic induced vibrations by in situ experiments

This paper deals with the validation of a numerical model for traffic induc ed vibrations. Road unevenness subjects the vehicle to vertical oscillation s that cause dynamic axle loads, which generate waves propagating in the su bsoil. A 2D vehicle model is used for the calculation of the axle loads fro m the longitudinal road profile. The free field soil response is calculated with the dynamic Betti-Rayleigh reciprocity theorem, using a transfer func tion between the road and the receiver that accounts for dynamic road-soil interaction. The validation relies on the measured response of the vehicle' s axles and the soil during the passage of a truck on an artificial unevenn ess with speeds varying from 30 to 70 km/h. The agreement between the numer ical and the experimental results is good: the influence of the vehicle spe ed and the distance from the road is well predicted, while the ratio of the predicted and the measured PPV is less than two. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.