Railway traffic vibrations: generation and propagation - use of computational models

In the analysis of the railway traffic vibrations, calculation and simulation models can be useful for studying generation and propagation of waves. Following the analysis of scientific literature, presented in “Railway traffic vibrations: generation and propagation - theoretical aspects”, two different models are presented and applied in this paper. The first is a mathematical theoretical model, implemented in MATLAB®, which allows to determine dynamic loads generated in the contact zone, between wheel and rail; the second one is a F.E. simulation models, developed with ADINA® code, that is able to reproduce the propagation of undulatory effects in the railway track and formation soil. These models have been preliminarily calibrated by means of a comparison with literature and experimental data. Then, the models are applied to simulate different operational conditions, varying speeds of trains and level of irregularities. The results are compared and discussed, and they demonstrate that models are able to investigate problems of vibrations in railway infrastructure engineering.