Estimation of Track Decay Rates and Noise Based on Laboratory Measurements on a Baseplate Fastening System

摘要

The dynamic properties of the rail fastening system affect the damping of the rail and the degree of coupling between the rail and the foundation. It is well known that the rate of decay of vibration along the rail is closely linked to the noise performance of the track. For this reason, the track decay rate (TDR) is used as an important measurable input quantity for models that predict railway rolling noise. This paper investigates whether the TDR can be estimated correctly from laboratory measured dynamic properties of rail fastening systems. The system studied in this work is a commercial two-stage baseplate system that is mounted on a slab track fitted with 60E1 rail. Four different types of rail pads were fitted during the track decay rates measurements. The TWINS model was used to predict the rolling noise using the measured and calculated track decay. The comparison has shown a good agreement between the measured and predicted TDR.