A review of wave transmitting boundaries used in numerical modelling

S. D. Ekanayake, D. S. Liyanapathirana and C. J. Leo

Wave transmitting boundaries are used to truncate an infinite domain when analysing soil-structure interaction problems involving wave propagation using dynamic finite element analysis procedures. This facilitates analysing a problem in an infinite domain considering a finite domain with boundaries, which has the ability to absorb the waves propagating away from the finite domain without reflecting them. Simulating proper non-reflective conditions at the boundaries during a finite element analysis is therefore vital for the accuracy of numerical solutions. Numerous approaches have been introduced to simulate non-reflecting boundary conditions in the past few decades and the accuracy or the capacity to absorb waves propagating into these boundaries has improved over the years. This paper presents a review of wave transmitting boundaries found in the literature. The performance of several wave transmitting boundaries is investigated by simulating them using the finite element program ABAQUS.