Piledriver Noise: Acoustic Radiation From a Cylindrical Pipe Pile Under Periodic Axial Impacts

Abstract

The acoustic radiation caused by periodic axial impacts on a cylindrical pipe pile of finite length is calculated. The axial velocity at all points on the pile surface is specified in terms of the excitation, the pile properties, and the ground impedance. It is assumed that the reflection of the structural wave at the pile-ground interface is a linear process, and that the radial pile velocity is simply related to the axial velocity through Poisson coupling. The pile motion is then used as a boundary condition for the acoustical space and the total acoustical power radiation and its spectral decomposition are predicted. Possible methods of noise control are discussed.