Vibration Reduction in Ballasted Track Using Ballast Mat: Numerical and Experimental Evaluation by Wheelset Drop Test

Abstract

Ballast mats are considered as an effective solution for reducing vehicle-induced vibrations. However, the research on the vibration characteristics of each part of the ballasted track with a ballast mat is limited. In this study, the ballast mat vibration reduction effects are evaluated by numerical and experimental analysis using wheelset drop tests. A three-dimensional model consisting of a wheel, track and the contact between them is built using a rigid–flexible coupling method. The accuracy of the numerical model is verified by comparison with the finite element model in terms of the track receptance and phase angle. Comparisons show that the proposed model is in good agreement with the finite element model, which allows validating the flexible-body model. Moreover, the track dynamic performance in the presence and absence of the ballast mat is studied with the wheelset drop tests in both time and frequency domains. The results from the wheelset drop excitation tests show that the use of the ballast mat decreases the mid- and high-frequency track vibration by 13–17 dB but increases the low-frequency track vibration by 5–15 dB.

Under ballast mat – A review of recent developments, limitations, and future prospects

“…49,63 In addition, the low-frequency vibration range can propagate for a long distance in soils and tunnels with little attenuation, and human activities are disturbed by vibration. 49,63 Also, the high-frequency limit was chosen as 3000 Hz because the Timoshenko beam was chosen for simulation and the model can only act accurately based on the beam assumption and hypothesis to this limit. 64 A USM in a slab track system has similar effects as well.…”

“…Figure 3 shows the installation of different kinds of UBMs on track. In this section, an overview of the recent effects of each kind of UBM on the aforementioned characteristics is proposed.

Figure 3.Under ballast mat installation: (a) Sylodyn® mat on a tunnel floor 48 (b) polyurethane ballast mat in China 49 (c) polyurethane elastomer on the concrete deck of the bridge 50 (d) and (e) Rubber-based mat in China.

…”

“…Under ballast mat installation: (a) Sylodyn® mat on a tunnel floor 48 (b) polyurethane ballast mat in China 49 (c) polyurethane elastomer on the concrete deck of the bridge 50 (d) and (e) Rubber-based mat in China.…”

Parametric analysis of railway infrastructure for improved performance and lower life-cycle costs using machine learning techniques

“…The accurate characterization of rail infrastructure components has a great importance in vehicle-track interaction studies. Some authors devoted their attention to modelling and characterization of rail pads [17][18][19][20][21], which are the elements with the greatest influence on track stiffness, a fundamental parameter for maintenance of the track [22][23][24][25][26][27], in particular in the case of ballastless tracks [28][29][30].…”

Vibration mitigation design and effect prediction of ballast turnout in metro depot

“…Based on the wheel load drop test, Wang [7] tested the vibration mitigation performance of two floating slab track structures and compared them with the nonfloating slab track. Bo [8] evaluated the vibration mitigation effect of the UBM. Drop height in the previous studies is taken according to experience.…”