Predictions of the Effects of Elastic Seabed on Noise Radiated during Marine Pile Driving
Invited paper
National Physical Laboratory
Monday 1 june, 2015, 16:40 - 17:00
0.2 Berlin (90)
Abstract:
Lian Wang, Pete Theobald and Stephen Robinson
National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
Abstract
In this paper, numerical simulations are carried out to assess the effects of an elastic seabed on noise generated by impact pile driving. In the simulation, a steel pile of dimensions 25 m long, 1 m external radius and 5 cm wall thickness was used in an underwater channel of 10 m depth, with a fluid sediment layer above a semi-infinite elastic sub-seabed. The near field of the acoustic source was calculated using a finite element approach with the PAFEC software package in the time domain, the results of which were coupled into a Fast Field Programme (OASES) for propagation to greater ranges.
The results are compared with those reported by other researchers to illustrate the effects of varying the acoustic properties of the elastic seabed on the peak pressure level and sound exposure level at long distances.