Estimation of Electromagnetic Field Penetration into Concrete Buildings Using a Theoretical Approach Considering External Environmental Factors

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a theoretical approach to estimate the power level of electromagnetic waves radiated into a structure by a specific external source. The target structure is a multistory building on a university campus that is used primarily for academic purposes and is much larger than the target wavelength. To verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed theoretical approach, measurements were carried out and a commercially available simulation tool, Wireless Insite, was adopted. We then analyzed the influence of an area of vegetation as an external environmental factor that could affect the radiated electromagnetic waves because of its location in front of the target structure. For this, a precise simulation environment was designed to derive the quantitative values of the electromagnetic attenuation caused by the external environmental factor. Furthermore, those values were applied to the theoretical approach. The results of the theoretical approach accounting for the external environmental factor were similar to those of the actual measured results. The results were also similar to those of the simulation tool, Wireless Insite, but the theoretical approach provided more efficient analysis results in terms of time consumption and computer resources.