Civil Engineering Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2026
Abstract
Mechanical metamaterials are capable of forming frequency bandgaps (FBGs) to attenuate wave propagation. However, their performance in seismic applications is constrained at low frequencies, where achieving sufficiently large unit cells and effective energy absorption becomes impractical. This paper presents a novel seismic periodic mechanical metamaterial (PMM) specifically designed to address these challenges for vibrations with frequencies below 20 Hz. The proposed system, termed the Dual-Layout Multi-Resonator Periodic Metamaterial (DL-MRPM), integrates PMMs with multiple resonators to enable localized energy absorption within each unit cell. In this configuration, each unit cell incorporates two complementary layouts: (1) a lighter, stiffer supporting layer that provides structural support and stability, and (2) a secondary layer containing resonators with lower stiffness and higher mass that trap and absorb the vibrational energy. An analytical model is first developed to describe the dynamic response of a one-story building with a rigid base equipped with the DL–MRPM system with a single unit cell. The formulation is then systematically extended to multiple cells, with parametric studies conducted for four–cell and nine–cell configurations to assess scalability and collective behavior. For real-world realization of the concept, several large-dimension unit-cell configurations are further analyzed and optimized through finite element (FE) simulations in COMSOL to examine their ability to generate low- FBGs (< 20 Hz), while enhancing energy localization and reducing the transmission ratio. Finally, the optimized design identified through FE simulations is fabricated as a prototype and experimentally validated against a conventional PMM design with no energy localization. Both prototypes, consisting of 3 × 5 unit cells, were tested under harmonic loading to evaluate their effectiveness in wave attenuation and in reducing deformation and acceleration. The results demonstrate that the optimized DL-MRPM prototype provides a better transmission loss across a broader frequency range than the conventional design, effectively minimizing dynamic response through the combined mechanisms of FBG formation and localized energy absorption within the unit cells.
Recommended Citation
Ta, Quoc-Bao, and Mohsen Amjadian. 2026. “A Multi-Resonator Periodic Metamaterial with Localized Energy Absorption for Seismic Wave Attenuation in Buildings.” Engineering Structures 354 (May): 122428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122428.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Engineering Structures
DOI
10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122428
Comments
Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122428.