Reduction of Train-Induced Vibrations—Calculations of Different Railway Lines and Mitigation Measures in the Transmission Path

Abstract

The reduction of train-induced ground vibrations by different railway lines and by mitigation measures in the propagation path is analysed in a unified approach by two-dimensional finite element calculations where the reduction is expressed as the amplitude ratio between a specific and the reference situation (the surface track without a mitigation measure). In general, there is no reduction at low frequencies, and the reduction becomes stronger with increasing frequency. A maximum reduction ratio of 0.1 at high frequencies is established with an open trench. Reduction ratios between 0.7 and 0.2 have been found for the other situations, filled trenches, walls, plates, and blocks, as well as for railway lines on embankment, in cuts and in a tunnel. Bridges can produce amplifications due to their resonance frequencies, but also strong reductions due to the massive bridge piers. The influence of some parameters has been analysed, the length of the bridge span, the inclination of the embankment and the cut, and the stiffness of the soil and of the tunnel structure. The dynamic track stiffnesses of a surface, bridge and tunnel track have been calculated by the 3D finite-element boundary-element method for comparison with corresponding measurements.