ABSTRACT
During the last decades, the scientific attention to the seismic risk reduction has been increasing. Principal solutions are still generally based on interventions on structures. However, geotechnical researchers have recently started experimental campaigns regarding the study of possible applications of synthetic materials directly to the soil, as the latter is the first medium through which seismic waves propagate.
Polyurethane (PU) foams already have a wide application range in many sectors; in civil engineering their use is mostly related to thermic insulation purposes. For transient phenomena, these synthetic materials have already been employed for the mitigation of traffic-induced vibrations, while poor attention has been paid to the study of their effect with respect to seismic wave propagation.
University of Parma has already investigated the mechanical behavior of PU foams in specimens obtained from panels or by mixing the two main components (Polyol and Isocyanate) in liquid form directly in laboratory realizing ad-hoc specimens; both oedometric and failure conditions have been studied.
The dynamic properties of PU foams have been analyzed by performing Resonant Column Tests in the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics, Foundations and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, on specimens of pure synthetic materials realised in the laboratory. The aim of the paper is to present and discuss the experimental results obtained and to focus on the future research development, starting from the present results
