The Influence of Track Parameters on the Sound Radiation from Slab Tracks

Kapitel i bok, 2021

The influence of track parameters on the sound radiation has so far mainly been studied for ballasted tracks. The increasing usage of slab tracks in new railway lines worldwide makes a review of these parameters relevant. In this paper, the structural vibrations of rail and slab are evaluated based on two waveguide finite element models that are coupled in a finite number of positions. This discretely supported rail is compared to a rail on a continuous support. The sound radiation from rail and slab is evaluated based on a wavenumber boundary element method. The slab and rail contributions are evaluated separately. It is found that comparable to ballasted tracks, the rail pad stiffness has a large influence on the radiated sound power. For a continuously supported rail, the total sound power is reduced and the rail pad stiffness is less influential.