To explore the prediction of vibrations in soft soil foundations, in light of the construction of laboratories with microvibration requirements on soft soil foundations which are subject to the limitations of urban land planning, field testing was conducted, and the soil surface vibration responses were recorded at different distances from a road under various highway traffic loads. By analyzing the data which summarize the characteristics of soft soil foundations, it is clarified that the vibration response of soft soil foundations mainly occurs at low frequencies, and the vibration response under road traffic loads is prone to resonance at the natural frequency of soft soil foundations. Subsequently, a new vibration prediction method based on the vibration transmission ratio is proposed, and its effectiveness and accuracy based on transmissibility are verified. This research study provides a reference for laboratories constructed on soft soil and for surrounding traffic planning.
Keywords: microvibration; soft soil foundations; vibration attenuation characteristics; vibration prediction; vibration transmissibility.