Assessment of railway ground vibration in urban area using in-situ transfer mobilities and simulated vehicle-track interaction

This article proposes an alternative approach to the well-known Federal Railroad Administration method to evaluate ground vibrations induced by the passing of railway vehicles. The originality lies on the excitation mechanisms that occur in urban areas. A common source of railway-induced ground vibrations is local defects (rail joints, switches, and turnouts) which cause large amplitude excitations at isolated locations along the track. To analyse such situations, a combined numerical-experimental study is developed, based on the use of numerical train/track results and experimental mobility transfer functions. The influence of building foundation type, vehicle, defect type, and size and location is evaluated through experimental data collected in Brussels (Belgium). The results show that it is possible to assess vibrations from light rapid transit systems in the presence of local rail defects and unknown soil conditions

A 2.5D time-frequency domain model for railway induced soil-building vibration due to railway defects

A new hybrid time-frequency modelling methodology is proposed to simulate the generation of railway vibration caused by singular defects (e.g. joints, switches, crossings), and its propagation through the track, soil and into nearby buildings. To create the full source-to-received model, first the force density due to wheel-rail-defect interaction is calculated using a time domain finite element vehicle-track-soil model. Next, the frequency domain track-soil transfer function is calculated using a 2.5D boundary/finite element approach and coupled with the force densities to recover the free-field response. Finally, the soil-structure interaction of buildings close to the line is computed using a time domain approach. The effect of defect type, train speed and building type (4-storey office block and 8-storey apartment building) on a variety of commonly used international vibration metrics (one-third octaves, PPV, MTVV) is then investigated. It is found that train speed doesn't correlate with building vibration and different defect types have a complex relationship with vibration levels both in the ground and buildings. The 8-storey apartment building has a frequency response dominated by a narrow frequency range, whereas the modal contribution of the 4-storey office building is over a wider frequency band. This results in the 8-storey building having a higher response

A Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Special Type of Floating-Slab Tracks

This thesis presents a research study on the dynamic behavior of a special type of FST used in recently built subway system in Doha, Qatar. The special FST has a continuous concrete slab with periodic grooves for which the track can be modeled as periodic structure with a slab unit having two elements with different cross sections. Extensive numerical and experimental investigations were conducted on a multi-unit full-scale mockup track. The numerical investigations were carried out using both a fast running model based on the Dynamic Stiffness Method and a detailed Finite Element model. In the experimental campaign, experimental vibration test was performed to identify the actual vibration response of the mockup track. Results from the experimental investigations were then used for verifying the numerical models and carrying out a model updating exercise for the fast running model. The model updating process was carried out according to an automated hybrid optimization approach. Finally, the updated model was extended to an infinite model and used in a parametric study to investigate the influence of varying groove’s thickness on the dynamic behavior of the special track with infinite length for both bending and torsion scenarios. The parametric study suggested that reducing the thickness below 50% of the full thickness of the slab significantly affects the dynamic behavior of the special FST