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Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Simulation of Human-induced Vibrations Based on the Characterized In-field Pedestrian Behavior
Published on: April 13, 2016
Identification of Vibration Modes and Wave Propagation of Operational Rails by Multipoint Hammering and Reciprocity
Kodai Matsuoka1, Kazuhiro Kajihara2, Hirofumi Tanaka2
1Railway Technical Research Institute, Railway Dynamics Division, 2-8-38, Hikari-cho, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo 185-8540, Japan.
Abstract:
Vertical bending vibration modes and rail wave propagation, including the damping characteristics, are the factors that cause rail corrugation. However, the ability to identify actual railways has been limited because of the huge number of sensors required for field tests. In this study, a novel and field-applicable method for identifying rail vibration modes and wave propagation characteristics is developed by multipoint hammering and the reciprocity theorem instead of multipoint measuring. Additionally, the proposed method is applied to an actual rail with a direct fastening track system on a bridge that has corrugation with a wavelength of approximately 0.04 m. As a result, the wavelength (wavenumber)-, group velocity-, and distance damping (attenuation) frequency relationship of the wave propagation is clarified in addition to the rail frequencies and mode shapes up to approximately 1500 Hz, including the pinned-pinned mode. Finally, the identified wavelength-frequency relationships and the measured rail irregularity can empirically demonstrate that the generated corrugation on the rail is produced by wave interference on the two axles in the bogie.
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