Wind Load Characteristics of Wind Barriers Induced by High-Speed Trains Based on Field Measurements

Abstract

This paper focuses on field measurements and analyses of train-generated wind loads on wind barriers (3.0 m height and porosity 0%) with respect to different running speeds of the CRH380A EMU vehicle. Multi-resolution analysis was conducted to identify the pressure distribution in different frequency bands. Results showed that the wind pressure on the wind barrier caused by train-induced wind had two significant impacts with opposite directions, which were the “head wave” and “tail wave”. The peak wind pressure on the wind barrier was approximately proportional to the square of the speed of the train, and the peak wind pressure decreased rapidly along the wind barrier height from the bottom of the wind barrier. The maximum wind pressure occurred at the rail surface height. Furthermore, results of the multi-resolution analysis illustrated that the energy of the frequency band from 0 to 2.44 Hz accounted for 94% of the total energy. This indicated that the low-frequency range component of the wind pressure dominated the design of the wind barrier. The frequency of pulse excitation of train-induced wind loads may overlap with the natural frequency of barriers, and may lead to fatigue failure due to cyclic loads generated by the repeated passage of high-speed trains. In addition, the speed of the train had a negligible effect on the energy distribution of the wind pressure in the frequency domain, while the extreme pressure increased slightly with the increase of the speed of the train.

Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Pressure on Sound Barriers from High-Speed Trains with Different Nose Lengths

“…Lv et al [16] conducted field tests on the aerodynamic load characteristics of the sound barrier from three aspects: the speed of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, the distance between the train and the sound barrier, and the type of EMU train. Zou et al [17] performed on-site measurements of the aerodynamic load generated by the CRH380A EMU train on the sound barrier at various speeds. The analysis revealed that the train-induced aerodynamic load exhibits distinct head wave and wake wave effects, with the peak pressure gradually decreasing along the vertical direction of the sound barrier.…”

Influence of Wind Barriers with Different Curvatures on Crosswind Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Train-Bridge System

“…High-speed trains running in a strong crosswind environment are prone to accidents, such as overturning and derailment, which cause heavy economic losses and casualties. The wind barrier can significantly reduce the wind speed in the train running area and ensure the running safety of the train, which is an economical and efficient wind protection measure [5][6][7][8][9].…”