Introduction to High-Speed Lines, Their Ground Borne Vibrations and Techniques to Suppress Them

The vibration of high-speed lines causes public disturbance and lowers the value of real estate properties located near railway lines. These issues hinder the development of railway infrastructure in urbanised areas. This research investigates vibrations resulting from the applied axle load of 20 kN with harmonic excitation frequencies of 5.6 and 8.3 Hz. The effects of such vibrations on the components of railway embankment and their properties, which influence the attenuation of vibration, are also studied. The study is focused on ground-borne vibrations and those between the frequency range of 0 and 250 Hz. A 3D numerical model is developed using SolidWorks software, and frequency response is produced using the harmonic analysis module from the ANSYS Workbench software. Harmonic excitation is used on the track to simulate the moving load of a train. Changes are observed in the mass, spacing and thickness of the sleeper. The corresponding stiffness of the ballast does not result in significant vibration response. Statistical analysis methods, including t-test and ANOVA single factor test are used to verify the critical values at 5%.