Induced vibrations due to High-Speed Trains on ballast and slab tracks: Fid-Bau Portal

Induced vibrations due to High-Speed Trains on ballast and slab tracks

Galvin, P. / Romero, A. / Dominguez, J.

This paper is intended to develop a general numerical model for the analysis of vibrations due to high-speed train passage and their effects on nearby structures. As compared to formulations based on direct integration of half-space Greens functions, it is able to consider the actual geometry, embankment and ballast effects, and other local effects. As compared to 2.5-D solutions the present formulation can take into account local soil discontinuities, underground constructions such as underpasses, and coupling with nearby structures that brake the uniformity of the geometry along the track line. The influence of ballast track and slab track on the soil motion have been studied in this work. It can be concluded that the maximum values of vertical velocity time histories under the rail obtained for the slab track and ballast track with the same static properties are similar, and these values are lower than the obtained for other more soft ballast track . However, the maximum values of vertical velocity time histories at points located far from the track for slab track are higher than the computed for the more soft ballast track. In relation to trains speed effect, it has not been notice in the slab track case because of its critical velocity is higher that the Rayleigh wave velocity. However a vibration increase has been observed in the softest ballast when the trains speed was higher that the Rayleigh wave velocity in the soil. The rail pads stiffness effect has been notice very lightly in the computed cases.