Study on structure-borne low-frequency noise from rail transit bridges using inverse boundary element method

Abstract

The structure-borne low-frequency noise radiated from urban rail transit bridges is harmful to human health. It is difficult to use a forward prediction model to simulate the sound pressures of all the field points around the bridge due to the uncertainty of related parameters of the numerical model. In this paper, a numerical model combining the inverse boundary element method (BEM) and the measured results of a minority of field points is proposed to reconstruct the sound field. First, the forward prediction model is used to simulate the bridge noise, and the simulated results of a few field points are used to reconstruct the sound field using inverse BEM. Second, the accuracy of the inverse BEM is verified by comparing sound pressures obtained using inverse BEM with the results calculated using the forward prediction model. Finally, field measurements of a U-shaped girder bridge are used to further validate the accuracy of the inverse BEM.