An experimental study on the characteristics of vibration source in urban rail transit turnouts

Abstract

Due to the structural characteristics of railway turnouts, as well as their vulnerability to damage and other problems, the environmental vibrations induced by urban rail transit often have a greater effect on the railway turnouts than that on an ordinary line. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an in-depth study on the characteristics of vibration source on the turnouts. In this paper, a group of representative turnouts is selected for field testing on four typical lines of different operational times in a Chinese city. The profile and rail irregularity of the turnouts are measured to evaluate the service condition of the turnouts and the wheel–rail interaction. The vibration acceleration of the track structure and tunnel wall is measured as the train passes the turnout by setting the measuring points in the two main vibration sources, including the switch and the crossing section. The time–frequency domain analysis method is used to analyze these data. It is found that the source strength of the tunnel wall in the crossing section is much greater than that in the switch section, and that the lateral vibration level is often greater than the vertical vibration level. Unexpectedly, there is a low positive correlation between the vibration level and the train speed, while the healthy state of the turnout rails has a great influence on the vibration level. According to the results of the research, the sources of vibration excitation in the turnouts are complex; therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate their environmental impact and take corresponding vibration control measures.