Simulations of ground vibration from a moving harmonic load on a railway track

Abstract A sequence of results is presented from a model of an oscillating load moving on a track on a layered ground. The results allow a visualization of the effect of the relative speeds of the load and the propagation speeds in the ground structure. This is useful in developing the understanding of the interaction of train speed, track structure and ground properties for high-speed trains. The simulation shows the excitation of high amplitudes of vibration in the track, the “bow wave” angle of propagation of vibration in the ground and the transfer of vibrational energy to a higher order mode as the speed of the load exceeds that of the first mode of propagation in the layered ground.