Experimental investigation into ground vibrations induced by very high speed trains on a non-ballasted track

TLDR

The study reports and analyzes, for the first time, vertical ground vibration accelerations induced by very high‑speed trains (300–410 km/h) running over a non‑ballasted embankment track. Field measurements were conducted on the Beijing–Shanghai high‑speed railway, and the time‑ and frequency‑domain characteristics of ground vibration, including peak values and frequency‑weighted levels, were examined as functions of train speed and distance from the track centerline. The results show that the train’s bogie excites periodic ground vibrations detectable within 50 m, with dominant frequencies linked to the wheelbase and car spacing; peak acceleration rises linearly with speed, while frequency‑weighted acceleration decays more slowly with distance, leading to significant human‑comfort impacts at 380–400 km/h and providing data for validating numerical models.

Abstract

A field measurement of ground vibration was performed on the Beijing−Shanghai high-speed railway in China. In this paper, the experimental results of vertical ground vibration accelerations induced by very high speed trains running over a non-ballasted track on embankment with speeds from 300 to 410 km/h are reported and analyzed in detail for the first time. Characteristics of ground vibration accelerations in both time and frequency domains are analyzed based on the test data. It is shown that the periodic exciting action of high-speed train bogies can be identified in time histories of vertical accelerations of the ground within the range of 50 m from the track centerline. The first dominant sensitive frequency of the ground vibration acceleration results from the wheelbase of the bogie, and the center distance of two neighboring cars plays an important role in the significant frequencies of the ground vibration acceleration. Variations of time–response peak value and frequency-weighted vertical acceleration level of ground vibration in relation with train speed as well as the distance from the track centerline are also investigated. Results show that the time-domain peak value of ground vibration acceleration exhibits an approximately linear upward tendency with the increase of train speed. With the increasing distance from the track centerline, the frequency-weighted vertical acceleration level of the ground vibration attenuates more slowly than the time-domain peak value of the ground vibration acceleration does. Severe impact of high-speed railway ground vibration on human body comfort on the ground occurs at the speed of 380–400 km/h. The results given in the paper are also valuable for validating the numerical prediction of train induced ground vibrations.