Transmission of vibrations from high speed trains through viaducts and foundations to the ground

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the three‐dimensional ground vibrations induced by high speed trains moving over a viaduct with pile foundations. The train is modeled as two sets of moving loads, with one for the front wheels and the other for the rear ones, the viaduct as a series of elastically supported beams, and the ground as a viscoelastic half space. A semi‐analytic approach was used to analyze the train‐induced ground vibrations, considering the dynamic properties of the viaduct, the interaction between the piles and surrounding soils, and the wave propagation properties of the ground. Extensive parametric analyses were conducted to gain insight into the ground vibrations caused by the SKS, TGV and ICE trains, with emphasis on the resonance occurring between the train and viaduct. It is indicated that the vehiclebridge resonance can result in drastic ground vibration response, which decays in an oscillatory manner as the distance increases. Moreover, comparatively lower level of ground vibrations exists for some combinations of viaduct span length and train speed for the three train models considered, which suggests the existence of an optimal design for the viaduct concerning the mitigation of ground vibrations. Finally, the effect of elastic bearings on the ground responses due to high speed trains was also studied.