Research related to vibrations from high speed railway traffic

Resumen

We discuss here recent results from several research programmes related to dynamic aspects and vibrations induced by high speed railway traffic, developed at the computational mechanics group, within the “Escuela de Ingenieros de Caminos” of the Technical University of Madrid. The first part of this work concerns the dynamic response of railway bridges and structures under high speed traffic. The study of vertical dynamic effects in bridges has lead recently to improved understanding and practical design concepts, embodied in the new engineering codes [1,2,3,4,5]. Some special and seldom considered features of the dynamic response are also discussed. In the second part we present some results for lateral dynamic effects. These have not been so widely studied as the vertical vibrations, however they may pose significant problems for bridges. Finally, in the third part we discuss recent results of ongoing research for the mechanical response of slab track and ballast track, focusing on the vertical vibration of the track and the associated dynamic traffic loads.