Use of Damping Materials for Noise Reduction on Railway Carriages and Other Equipment

Abstract

Noise-level measurements are described that were carried out on a British Railway's buffet car both untreated and with two different levels of treatment. The whole carriage, walls, floor, and roof were sprayed with a high-efficiency vibration-damping material that reduced the noise over the whole frequency spectrum. There was also high-frequency airborne noise coming up through the floor, which required a separate treatment. The average drop was 7 dB. Possible alternative damping systems and alternative methods of application, such as preformed heat-fusible damping sheets, are discussed. Noise-level measurements are also described for the driver's cab of a diesel locomotive and for domestic equipment, such as washing-machine spin driers.