Analysis of lateral vibration behavior of railway track at high frequencies using a continuously supported multiple beam model

Abstract

The lateral vibration of railway track at high frequencies is a more difficult research topic, compared with the vertical vibration, because the complex cross-sectional deformation of the rail has to be taken into account. The commonly used models for the lateral vibration are based on the FEM/FSM or a derivation of the FEM. It is inconvenient to calculate responses of the rail to external excitation by these models, especially when the discrete supports of the rail are taken into account. To overcome this barrier a new model for studying the lateral vibration behavior of railway track is developed in this paper. It is a simple model consisting of two infinite Timoshenko beams connected by an array of finite beams. Detailed investigation of the lateral vibration for a free rail and a continuously supported rail has been carried out efficiently using this model. The free wave dispersion relation calculated using this model has been shown to be in good agreement with a FE model. Quite good agreement between the predictions and the measurement data has also been reached in terms of accelerances.