Mitigation of railway induced ground vibration by stiff wave barriers

Railway induced vibrations can be a source of annoyance for lineside residents. Within the frame of the EU FP7 project RIVAS, different mitigation measures on the transmission path have been investigated. This paper shows the potential of stiff wave barriers to reduce low frequency railway induced vibrations by means of field measurements and numerical simulations. In El Realengo (Spain), a continuous barrier has been created close to an existing railway track using overlapping jet grout columns, while a sheet piling wall has been installed along a track in Furet (Sweden). Measurements of train passages before and after installation of the barriers are compared in order to assess the vibration reduction efficiency. In El Realengo, additional measurements have been performed at a reference site adjacent to the test site. The measurement results are compared with results from 2.5D coupled finite element boundary element models. It is shown that both barriers are effective and result in vibration reduction from 8 Hz (El Realengo) and 4 Hz (Furet) upwards, respectively. The largest reduction is obtained immediately behind the barriers. This ability to solve low frequency vibration problems is a unique feature compared to most other vibration mitigation measures for existing railway lines.