Evaluation of surface wave components for identification of subsurface cavities using 2D and 3D finite element modeling method

Identifying the subsurface anomalies has always been of interest to the geotechnical and geological engineers especially when there is the potential risk of collapse and settlement. These anomalies have various effects on different components of the surface waves. Therefore, in this paper, the effects of empty and solid cavities on the components of Rayleigh (R) and Love (L) waves are investigated in homogeneous and layered soil media. In this regard, the vertical and radial components of the Rayleigh and Love waves are compared by applying vertical and horizontal loads. Moreover, the elliptical shape of R-wave is evaluated for different models without cavity, with cavity and intrusion (i.e. filled cavity). All 2D and 3D models are simulated using finite element method (FEM) in the Abaqus software. Furthermore, the potential ability of different components of the surface waves for cavity detection is compared by considering the resolution of the diffracted waves and their amplitudes in the wave-field domain. The results show that the elliptical shape of particles motions, maximum normalized amplitude and the ratio of different components of R and L waves are influenced by the subsurface cavities.