The Mitigation of Train-Induced Ground Vibrations in Nearby Buildings

The study of the ground-borne vibrations caused by high speed trains has received considerable attention in recent years, due to the effects of vibrations on historical buildings, in terms of structural damage, and on population, in terms of discomfort.The problem has become more significant with the increasing the speed and weight of trains, which results in heavier loads on the tracks. Therefore, a method to investigate the propagation of vibration waves in the soil and the possible mitigation solutions must be found.This paper aims to study the train-induced ground vibrations and the mitigation effects of barriers using a Finite Element Method (FEM) model.The results of the proposed project aims at assessing the effect of the barrier on the vibrations caused by the passing of high-speed trains and the following conclusions can be made: concrete seems to provide a consistent reduction in the vibrations. The proposed method can be successfully applied to a preliminary analysis of the influence of different types of barriers on the dynamic properties of vibration waves in the soil.