Method and apparatus to determine structural parameters of a railway track

摘要

The invention relates to a method for determining structural parameters of a railway track comprising a sensor array. The method comprises measuring at least the vertical and/or lateral irregularities of said rail with the sensor array along the rail, thereby providing signals corresponding to the geometrical irregularities at different distance from the wheel-load. A model is provided describing the deflection shape of a rail, wherein the deflection shape is dependent on structural parameters of the rail and on the loads on the rail, said model being stored in the processor. In the processor said geometrical irregularities are compared under different load influence for generating a measured deflection shape. At least one theoretical rail deflection shape is generated using the model by varying the structural parameters and the load in the model. At least one of said theoretical deflection shapes is compared with said measured deflection shape for each point of the rail, and the structural parameters of that theoretical deflection shape which best matches said measured deflection shape are determined. An apparatus configured to perform the method is also provided.