Search

Bridge damage detection has attracted much attention recently. Most studies on damage detection of the high-speed railway (HSR) bridge neglect the effect of the interlayer connection between the railway track and bridge. This paper proposes a damage detection method for the HSR bridge using response-based sensitivity analysis of high-speed trains. The HSR bridge is modeled as a spatial track–bridge system, in which the fasteners, sleepers and track slabs are modeled as one viscoelastic layer. The responses of multiple vehicles are merged to overcome the critical issue that the length of response data recorded by a high-speed vehicle moving over the bridge is too short to perform the sensitivity analysis. Numerical studies demonstrate that the proposed method is capable to detect damages of the track–bridge system with different train speed, car-body mass, irregularity grade and the interlayer connection properties. By using the signal merging method and the averaged response from multiple train trips, the proposed method is robust to high speed and measurement noise. The damage on the bridge beam and the interlayer connection can be well-identified. It is also found that increasing the car-body mass, damping ratio of the track–bridge system, damping coefficient of interlayer connection could improve the efficiency of damage detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vortex shedding at the tail of a high-speed train changes the aerodynamic characteristics of the train, which affects the safety and stability of train operation. This paper takes CR400AF as the research object, and uses dynamic monitoring points to realize the whole process monitoring of the flow field at the tail of the train running in open air and in tunnel for the first time. The wake of the train in different infrastructure scenarios is analyzed by the proper orthogonal decomposition method. The study found that the wake vortex structure is quite different when the train runs in different scenarios, and the turbulent kinetic energy intensity of the wake in tunnel is higher than that of the open air running. Modal decomposition method can identify flow structures that have a large impact on train aerodynamics. Through frequency analysis, it is found that the modal frequency obtained from the decomposition is higher when running in open air than when running in tunnel. With the increase of train speed, the modal strouhal number increases when the train is running in open air, and decreases when the train runs in tunnel. After the train enters the tunnel, the reverse movement of the air around the train body suppresses the development and separation of the boundary layer, which is the main reason for the low frequency of wake vortex shedding in tunnel. The stability of the train running in tunnel is worse than that when running in open air, which is closely related to the more complex flow structure around the car body and the drastic change of aerodynamic force when running in the tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulse effect of near-fault ground motion has asevere threat to high-speed railway train running on bridge. Current research generally relies on numerical simulation and lacks physical test data. In this paper, a scale indoor physical test of high-speed train running on bridge is conducted and dynamic characteristics of high-speed railway train–track–bridge system under near-fault pulse-type ground motion are explored. The bridge of the physical test is excited by shaking table with lateral inputs of near-fault pulse-type ground motion, pulse-free ground motion and far-field ground motion. A corresponding numerical model is established and validated by the test data. Then, the influence regularities of pulse effect on system dynamic response and running safety indexes are explored under different peak ground acceleration (PGA) and train speeds using data of the physical tests and the numerical simulation comprehensively. Results suggest that compared to the near-fault pulse-free ground motion and the far-field ground motion, the near-fault pulse-type ground motion leads to larger lateral beam displacement, lateral train acceleration, and running safety indexes in different degrees. And from the data results of this paper, its lateral wheel–rail force and derailment coefficient are the first to break through the limit values. By studying the parameter sensitivity of lateral train acceleration, it was found that under the near-fault pulse-type ground motion, the lateral train acceleration is significantly more sensitive to changes of train speed and PGA. From the perspective of energy, the near-fault pulse-type ground motion results in spectrum intensity (SI) indexes which are larger and improve faster with the increase of PGA than other ground motions. This indicates that it inputs significantly more energy into the high-speed railway train–track–bridge system, although it may not excite larger lateral beam acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the problem of obtaining a given dynamic behavior of simply supported bridge beams from the impact of rolling stock. Resonant vibrations of beams become a reality at high speeds if the train is formed of identical cars, which is typical for passenger trains. The phenomenon of suppression of beam vibrations by a train, known from publications, is possible only with an exact ratio of the length of the car and the beam. This significantly reduces the possibilities of choosing the necessary spans of beams. Consideration of issues of interaction in the "bridge–track—train" system for security purposes requires the involvement of a rather complex mathematical apparatus and appropriate software. The paper proposes a new method for determining the specified dynamic behavior of bridge beams, suitable for any spans and available to engineers at the stage of pre-design assignment of dynamic parameters of beams. The requirements that are necessary and sufficient conditions for preventing the resonance of bridge beams on the HSR are determined. At the same time, it does not require the involvement of software based on a complex mathematical technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's railway network is wide, and some of them cross the seismic zone, and the ratio of high-speed railway (HSR) bridges is high. Therefore, the safety of trains on the bridge may be endangered in the event of an earthquake. Because the response of track–bridge system is sensitive to the randomness of bridge structural parameters during the earthquake, while the train wheelset is directly in contact with the track system, the running safety of train (RST) may be also sensitive to the randomness of structural parameters. In this paper, the model of train–bridge coupled system (TBCS) under earthquake was established, and the accuracy of the model was verified by test results. To efficiently calculate the safety performance of trains considering the randomness of structural parameters, the point estimation method (PEM) was used in this paper, and the applicability of PEM was proved by comparing with the calculation results of Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Then, PEM was used to discuss the running safety performance of trains under different ground motion (GM) intensities, different train speeds, and different pier heights. Finally, based on the maximum probability, the GM intensity threshold of a bridge based on running safety is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge influence lines can reflect the performance status of bridge structures and are an important tool to evaluate high-speed railway bridges. Because a high-speed train can cause large dynamic response on a bridge, it is difficult to identify the static influence line of the bridge. To extract the static bridge influence lines for bridge evaluation, this paper proposes a low-pass filter design method for static influence line identification. By maximizing the difference in bridge static and dynamic energy, the relationship between the frequency domain characteristics of the bridge dynamic response and the filter parameters is established. Based on this relationship, reasonable values of the low-pass filter parameters can be determined. After filtering the dynamic response, the quasi-static response can be effectively obtained, and the bridge static influence line can be identified through the least square regularization method. Finally, a numerical example of the vehicle–bridge interaction model is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the low-pass filter designed through the proposed principle can accurately remove the dynamic effects, and its stability and robustness are good. The research results provide a reliable method for the static influence line identification of high-speed railway bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For high-speed railway bridges in operation, it is necessary to reveal the coupling dynamic performance of train–bridge systems in order to avoid extreme vibrations, which are not conducive to bridge safety. With the opening of long-span heavy-haul and complex-type bridges to traffic, the train–bridge interaction can hardly be explained by a mature and unified theory. Notably, field testing and monitoring analysis have become popular in tracking the dynamic performance of train–bridge systems. The vibration of railway bridges depends on the train-track configuration and the inherent characteristics of bridges. The inherent characteristics of bridges, which are reflected by the modal parameters, are extracted via operational modal analysis in this paper. In addition, the modal characteristics of bridges while the train is passing through are also investigated to explain the coupling dynamic effect with the help of the train configuration. Considering that the measured vibration responses are seriously polluted by non-white noise or excitation, the variational mode decomposition (VMD) technique is developed to extract the state-driven vibrations for modal analysis. Since VMD is a univariate technique that hardly ensures that the weak component can be obtained from each measuring channel, the multi-channel variational mode decomposition (MVDM) technique is extended in this paper. The field monitoring data of a high-speed railway bridge are taken for modal identification and vibration analysis. The results show that the weak structural modes can be tracked, even though the forced vibrations due to the passage of regularly spaced axles are dominant. In addition, the dynamic effects in train-induced vertical vibrations of bridges are closely related to the train speed, heavy axle loads and the span length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trains tend to be faster and lighter to meet the increasing public travel needs and interact with crosswind to produce a strong aerodynamic interaction, leaving a safety hazard for the operation. This paper presents a study into the dynamic response and running safety of the train–bridge system accounting for this aerodynamic interaction. The threedimensional flow features of a moving train in crosswinds are first investigated by a computational fluid dynamics method, and then an aerodynamic model for simulating unsteady crosswind force is developed. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of the train and bridge are calculated by using a wind–train–bridge dynamic interaction equation, and finally, the characteristic wind curve and surface are defined to evaluate the train's running safety. The results show that the lateral response of the train–bridge system significantly increases as the crosswind increases, and the head car can experience a high derailment risk and determine the running safety of the train due to the aerodynamic coupling effect of a moving train and crosswind. Variations in the wind direction need to be factored into the safety assessment for low train speeds, and the train is at greater danger when the crosswind appears perpendicular to the car body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Track irregularity is the main factor that affects the safety and comfort of high-speed railway. It is important to study the influence of the track irregularity on the safety service of high speed train–track coupling system. In this paper, a vehicle–track spatial nonlinear coupled system dynamics model is developed with FEM. The model includes vehicle subsystem and track subsystem, which are coupled by wheel–rail interface. The vehicle subsystem is a 31-DOF spatial vehicle model, and the track subsystem is a three-dimensional slab track model composed of the rail, rail pad and track slab. Considering wheel tread profile and rail head profile, the wheel–rail spatial contact geometry relationship is established, and the "Trace method" and the "Minimum distance method" are used to search for wheel–rail contact points. Considering the nonlinear contact between the wheel and the rail, a numerical approach is presented, where the "Trace method" is embedded into the algorithm for solving the vehicle–track nonlinear coupling dynamics equation by cross iteration, realizing searching the wheel–rail contact points and solving the vehicle–track nonlinear coupling equation simultaneously, which greatly improves the efficiency of numerical analysis. As application examples, the dynamic responses of a high speed train–track spatial nonlinear coupled system excited by the track V-shaped local profile irregularity and the track torsional irregularity are analyzed. The results show that the algorithm is effective in solving the vehicle–track spatial nonlinear coupled system dynamics problem, and the track irregularity has significant influence on the dynamic response of vehicle and track structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed railways are “lifeline projects” that shoulder the heavy responsibility of transporting relief supplies and medical forces for the first time after earthquakes. To ensure the train’s safety after earthquakes, it is of great urgency to ascertain a post-earthquake speed threshold. To that end, a target model for seismic irregularity emerges as a key parameter. In this paper, a null phase assumption-based technique for the mutual conversion between evolutionary power spectral density and non-stationary signal was proposed. Taking a high-speed railway track-bridge system as the research object, the target model of seismic irregularities was constructed based on the proposed technique. The rationality of the target model of seismic irregularities was verified, and the construction parameter settings were discussed. Moreover, a simplified frequency-domain fitting method for the target model of seismic irregularities was proposed based on the spectral decomposition theory. According to the research findings, the null phase assumption-based technique is capable of performing interconversion between seismic irregularity and its evolutionary power spectral density with satisfactory accuracy. It is recommended to set the minimum number of seismic irregularities, spatial sampling interval, hop size, and length of window function as 50, 0.25m, 1, and 40 to 100, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new generation of China Railway Track System III (CRTS III) ballastless track structure has been found vulnerable under high-level earthquakes. However, the seismic characteristics and the damage mechanism had not been well studied. In this paper, a 4-span high-speed railway (HSR) simply supported bridge-track system model is established to investigate the seismic response and damage mechanism of the bridge-CRTS III slab ballastless track system under transverse earthquakes by nonlinear history analysis. In accordance with the results, the piers have a good seismic performance under high-level earthquake (0.57 g). The non-uniform vibration of unequal-height piers results millimeter-level inconsistent displacements between the girders. The fixed bearing is vulnerable under the earthquakes with PGA of 0.3 g and 0.57 g, indicating that the seismic design of fixed bearing should be optimized to enhance the seismic resistance under high-intensity earthquake. After the damage of fixed bearing, the friction is not enough to pull the girders to vibrate together with piers which leads the sliding of girders. The sliding of girder exacerbates the non-uniform displacements of girders and roadbed. The non-uniform vibration and residual slips of girders lead deformation of the rail, especially forming turning angles at the girder joints which may impact the safety of train operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerodynamic characteristics (research on the aerodynamic coefficients and surface pressure coefficients of trains at different wind yaw angles) and dynamic performance (research on the safety and comfort of train operation at different wind speeds and train speeds) of moving trains need to be explored to accurately evaluate their safety in a more realistic scenario. However, tests for a moving train model are costly and difficult to implement. In this paper, numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics and dynamic performance of moving and stationary trains. The surface pressure distribution and aerodynamic coefficients of the train are analyzed in detail. The results show that the three-component force coefficients of the stationary train are larger than those of the moving train when the wind yaw angle is less than 30°. At different train speeds and wind speeds, the running safety index based on the aerodynamic characteristics of the stationary train is larger (safer) than that of the moving train. However, the result of the comfort evaluation based on the aerodynamic characteristics of the stationary train may be too conservative. Moreover, the traditional formula is improved to more precisely predict the aerodynamic coefficients of the train within a wide range of wind yaw angles. Compared with the traditional formula, the improved formula only requires the three-component force coefficient of the vehicle at a 45° wind yaw angle, and the wind load of the train is independent of its speed. Hence, it is simpler and more convenient to calculate the wind load of the train. This work proves that it is feasible to estimate the aerodynamic force coefficients of moving trains by static wind tunnel tests combined with the improved formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drive-by methods hold tremendous potential for fast inspection and condition evaluation of bridges. However, most literature works focused on the bridge superstructures, and the applications of drive-by approaches to the substructures are quite rare. This paper numerically investigates the feasibility of detecting the damage in high-speed railway (HSR) bridge substructures using measured bogie acceleration responses from the passing marshaling trains. A damage indicator is developed as the work done by the change of the interaction force before and after damage when the vehicle passes through a pier. The interaction forces between the vehicle bogies and wheel-sets are estimated by a dual Kalman filter (DKF) from the dynamic responses of passing vehicles. A rapid inspection methodology is proposed for the interaction force identification and damage detection based on the coupling vehicle-girder-pier-foundation model. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the influence of some factors on the proposed methodology. The results from this study indicate that the interaction forces and vehicle state can be well identified by the DKF algorithm, and the defined damage indicator is reliable for damage localization and indication of the damage level using vehicles travelling at a high speed. The proposed method shows good robustness to the pier damage combinations, vehicle parameters and track irregularity and can serve as an effective drive-by health monitoring strategy for HSR or even normal speed railway bridge substructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway runs through a region of over 500 km that is amenable to frequent winds. The strong wind and rainfall pose a great threat to the safe operation of high-speed trains. To tackle the aforementioned climate challenges, this paper investigates the dynamic response of the high-speed train-track-bridge coupling system under the simultaneous action of winds and rains for the safe operation of trains. Specifically, there are four main objectives: (1) to develop a finite element model to analyze the dynamic response of the train-track-bridge system in windy and raining conditions; (2) to investigate the aerodynamic loads posed to the train-track-bridge system by winds and rains; (3) to evaluate the effects of wind speed and rainfall intensity on the train-track-bridge system; and (4) to assess the safety of trains at different train speeds and under various wind-rain conditions. To this end, this paper first establishes a train-track-bridge model via ANSYS and SIMPACK co-simulation and the aerodynamics models of the high-speed train and bridge through FLUENT to form a safety analysis system for high-speed trains running on the bridge under the wind-rain conditions. Then, the response of the train-track-bridge system under different wind speeds and rainfall intensities is studied. The results show that the effects of winds and rains are coupled. The rule of variation for the train dynamic response with respect to various wind and rain conditions is established, with practical suggestions provided for control of the safe operation of high-speed trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Running trains on a long-span bridge under earthquake is an inevitable problem for the high-speed railway in seismic regions. This paper aims to investigate the seismically random dynamic behavior of train–cable stayed bridges interaction system using the probability density evolution method (PDEM). The system simultaneously involves the multi-effect of random multi-point earthquake excitations with traveling waves and random track irregularity. The multi-point earthquake excitations, composed of lateral and vertical positions, are generated by stochastic harmful functions (SHFs) and uniformly modulated into nonstationary random processes. The motion equation of such a system is established by coupling the 38-degree vehicles and bridges through the refined random wheel/rail contact relationship and accounting for the phase-lags of seismic travelling waves between pier excitations. PDEM is proven to be applicable to such time-dependent systems and is then used to transform the random excitations into a series of deterministic representative excitations with initial probability. By solving for the corresponding deterministic probability responses, various nonstationary random responses, including the time-dependent probability density evolution functions of random responses, mean values curves and standard deviations, can be obtained easily. A case study based on the cable-stayed bridge is then presented, and the results show the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method by comparison with Monte Carlo Simulation. Additionally, the influence of train speed and seismic intensity on the safety and reliability of trains is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant resonance pattern at high frequencies around 400 Hz to 1000 Hz has been well observed from measured rail accelerations. Such resonances are key issues for rail noise and corrugation. Although this pattern has been noted and discussed in various papers in terms of wave reflections among multiple wheels, the aim of this study is to develop novel dynamic model and reveal generation mechanism of this resonance phenomenon with the train-track coupled system. An infinite Timoshenko beam with continuous supports is adopted for modeling the track system, and the point and transfer receptances of the rail for a moving excitation are explicitly deduced by the residue theorem together with a Fourier transform-based method. A frequency-domain method is then established to calculate the power spectral densities (PSD) of the train-track coupled system responses to stochastic irregularities with the moving vehicle model with multiple wheels. It is found that the high-frequency resonances occur when the reflected waves generated from multiple wheels on the rail are exactly in phase with the initial track irregularity. The load speed has negligible influence on the wheel–rail interaction in the lower frequency range and a small influence in the upper frequency range only for very high train speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency hunting problems of high-speed railway vehicles frequently occur due to the complex operating environment and degradation of wheel–rail contact conditions, which significantly affect the running safety and ride comfort of high-speed trains (HSTs). This paper presents a numerical investigation of the influence of aerodynamic loads on the carbody low-frequency hunting behaviors of HST. Considering the effect of aerodynamic loads, a multi-body system dynamics model for a HST train is formulated and applied to reproduce the carbody low-frequency hunting behavior. The influence of aerodynamic loads and wheel–rail contact conditions on the nonlinear stability of HST is analyzed. The range of aerodynamic coefficients of different aerodynamic loads which can stimulate the low-frequency hunting behavior of HST is proposed. The results show that the aerodynamic loads have a prominent effect on the nonlinear stability of HSTs. The low-frequency hunting motion of the HST tail car can be motivated by the lift airflow generated during service operation with a high traveling speed. The running stability of HSTs is more easily influenced by the aerodynamic loads when wheels are reprofiled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology of real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS), which is one of the methods to test the performance of train operation on bridge in recent years, has strict real-time requirements. Combined with the fixed-point iteration (FPI) algorithm, this paper developed an off-line iterative hybrid simulation (OIHS) method, avoiding real-time synchronization between numerical and physical parts in RTHS to reproduce train–track–bridge coupling-vibration (TTBV) of high-speed railway in laboratory. In OIHS, the physical train model was installed on the shake table, while the response of the numerical track–bridge structure was simulated. To improve the test reproduction accuracy of the TTBV in high-speed railway, based on the shake table inherent off-line iterative control which is reproduce the commands issued to the shake table, an outer loop off-line iterative controller was designed to form a double-layer off-line iterative control framework to correct the response error between the subsystems. Compared with traditional finite element analysis, the accuracy and efficiency of the OIHS method were validated by numerical simulation and shake table test. The results demonstrated that the OIHS method can solve the dynamic convergence problem of the train–track–bridge on high-speed railway accurately and efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In combination with the moving train, track irregularities have a significant influence on the structural response of railway bridges. Compared to the ideal case of perfect track geometry without any irregularities, an amplification of the response is observed. This paper proposes a probabilistic model to predict this dynamic response amplification of railway bridges due to random track irregularities when subjected to high-speed trains. The developed regression model, based on a parametric numerical study, provides the mean and standard deviation of the dynamic response amplification separately for bridge deflection and acceleration, since large differences are found for these vibration variables. Depending on the span, mass, fundamental frequency, and damping coefficient of simply supported bridges, dynamic response amplification statistics are approximated for a range of train speeds and different track qualities. The proposed model estimates the dynamic response amplification due to random track irregularities at predefined exceedance probabilities, and a customized amplification factor is determined that is consistent with the semi-probabilistic safety concept used in structural design. An application example shows the superiority of this model compared to the commonly used code-based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a train–track–bridge (TTB) interaction model that can account for coach-coupler effect is presented for stochastic dynamic analysis of a train traveling over a bridge. Based on the vector form intrinsic finite element (VFIFE) method, both the bridge and non-ballasted track are discretized into a set of mass particles connected by massless beam elements, in which the fasteners that fixed the tracks on the bridge deck are modeled as a series of linear spring-dashpot units. The multi-body train car is regarded as seven mass particles (1 for car body, 2 for bogies and 4 for wheelsets) connected by parallel spring-dashpot units. Considering the random nature of rail irregularities, the Karhunen–Loéve expansion (KLE) method is used to simulate the vertical profile of the tracks. To calculate the mean and standard deviation of the stochastic response of the TTB system, the point estimated method (PEM) based on the Gaussian integration and dimension reduction method is adopted. The proposed VFIFE–TTB interaction model is then applied to stochastic resonance analyses of a train moving on a bridge. It is shown that the present VFIFE–TTB model is able to analyze the dynamic interaction of the TTB system simply and efficiently. The influence of rail irregularity-induced stochastic vibration on the train and bridge would become significant once the resonant vibration takes place on the TTB system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to perform the safety assessment of high-speed trains (HSTs) on the simply supported bridges (SSBs) under low-level earthquakes, which are frequently encountered by HSTs, utilizing spectral intensity (SI) index. First, the HST's limit displacements, which are calculated by using the multi-body train model with detailed wheel–rail relationship, varying with train speed, frequency and amplitude of a sinusoidal base excitation are obtained. Then, based on the obtained HST's limit displacements, the spectral intensity limits (SIL) graded by the train's running speed are calculated, and the relationship between the bridge seismic dynamic responses and the train's running safety was established. Next, the method that utilizes the SI and the SIL indexes to evaluate the HST's running safety was proposed and verified by comparing with the evaluation result of the train–track–bridge interaction model. Based on the proposed SI index, the HST's running safety on the SSBs was evaluated under earthquakes, considering different pier heights and site types. The results showed that the low-frequency components of the ground motions are unfavorable to the HST's running safety, and the height of bridge piers has a significant impact on running safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fastener system is an essential component of the high-speed ballastless track system. A detailed analysis for the effect of fastener looseness on the vertical dynamic response of the vehicle–track coupling system is conducted from the time domain, frequency domain and time–frequency domain in this paper. A fine fastener system model is employed, which includes two spring rods and one rail pad. The preloaded force is proposed to simulate the defect of the fastener, and a looseness coefficient is defined to represent the loose degree of the fastener. First, three fastener system models are introduced into the model, respectively, and the difference in the vehicle–track dynamic is analyzed and compared. The results show that the proposed model is more consistent with the real situation and more suitable to simulate fastener defects. Then, the detailed analysis of vehicle and track dynamic responses is explored in the case of different degrees of loose fasteners and the case of completely loose fasteners. According to the simulation results, there is little impact on the dynamic response of the vehicle–track system when the looseness coefficient is less than 0.9. When the fasteners are completely loosened, the dynamic response of the wheelset and the rail significantly increases. The vibration responses of rail and wheelset enhance with the increase of the number of the completely loose fastener. The loose fasteners affect the low-frequency part of the wheelset vibration response and the high-frequency part of the rail vibration response. Finally, a time–frequency analysis method is used to analyze the system vibration response under the combined effect of the completely loose fastener and the track irregularity. The track irregularity still dominates the excitation of the system, and the vibration response of the wheelset and the rail is more sensitive to the fastener defect at low speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a three-dimensional dynamic model for high-speed railway trains moving over curved bridges considering the transition curves, circular curves, and superelevation. Key features of this study are to consider the nonlinear geometrical relationships and creep relationships between the wheels and rail, for which the interactive iterative numerical algorithms are developed based on the equations of vertical displacement and rolling of wheelset, and the torsional resonance conditions of the vehicle–bridge system are verified. The results show that the torsional vibration will cause amplification on vertical dynamic response of the beam on the outside edge of the curve. The deficient/surplus superelevation plays an important role in the lateral and torsional angular displacements of the bridge, and the peak of the torsional resonance response can be reduced by adjusting the practical superelevation of the curve. The variations of wheel–load reduction rate and derailment coefficient in the curve section are positively correlated to the deficient/surplus superelevation. The curve radius is the key factor affecting the wear and fatigue of wheel–rail, and when the curve radius is greater than 7000 m, the wear and fatigue can be significantly reduced. Running at a deficient superelevation level can also reduce the wear and fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic performance of high-speed maglev trains, a next-generation rapid transit system, has received continuous attention in recent years. In this study, a dynamic reliability analysis method for a high-speed maglev train–guideway coupled system was proposed. First, a refined model of the maglev vehicle–bridge interaction system was established, where the vehicle subsystem was simulated as a rigid body-spring-damper model with 101 degrees of freedom. The guideway subsystem was simulated as a finite element model, and these two subsystems were coupled as an entire system through a magnet–rail interaction model with a proportional-derivative (PD) controller. Second, a dimension-reduction method for the simulation of representative samples of track irregularities was developed, and thus the number of random variables in the system was reduced to four. Finally, an efficient method for the calculation of the dynamic reliability of a maglev train–guideway coupled system was proposed using the probability density evolution method-based equivalent extreme value principle. With numerical examples, the accuracy of the maglev train–guideway interaction model was verified by comparing it with field measurement data from the Shanghai high-speed maglev line. The accuracy of the proposed dynamic reliability analysis method was confirmed by comparing three types of results, that is, the mean value time-history curve, the probability density function, and the cumulative distribution function of extreme values, obtained by the Monte Carlo method. Finally, the dynamic reliability of the running safety and stability of the maglev vehicle at a speed of 430 km/h and the variation laws of the dynamic reliabilities with train speed were examined in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic characteristics, deformation and installation accuracy of the bridge structure will have a greater impact on the response of maglev system. This study performs the dynamic analysis of a flexible long-span continuous rigid frame bridge induced by high-speed maglev train. To achieve this, the spatial coupling analysis model is first established. Then, the influence of track irregularities and speed on the maglev system is analyzed. In addition, the mechanism of vertical resonance of the bridge and vehicle under the action of harmonic loads at low speed is also studied by a semi-analytical approach. The results show that the influence of the long-span bridge deformation on car-body vertical acceleration is greater than that of track irregularity. The resonance exists between train and the long-span bridge at low speed. When the frequency of the harmonic loads is consistent with the basic frequency of the bridge, it will cause the bridge resonance. The resonant speed range of the rigid car-body is 20–40 km/h. During bridge design, it shall be avoided that the basic frequency of the bridge is consistent with that of the vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a railroad wagon, the vertical excitation on the wheels originated from the track irregularities; the air spring model is reliably used to restrict these abnormal vibrations at a required level and improve traveler comfort. When air springs deflate during running, too much vibration occurs and the ride is less comfortable, which are common complaints among high-speed rail operators. In the situation that the air spring deflates, the laminated rubber spring acts as a temporary emergency spring to reduce the dynamic load. An approximation method for measuring laminated rubber's static stiffness is presented and examined the effect on the air suspension. In this study the equations of motion for the pitch, roll, and the bounce motion of the bogies and the car's body were developed with deflated state of air spring to systematically study the effect of deflated air spring on the ride comfort of passengers. The study show that passengers' ride comfort was predicted accurately by the proposed model. It also observed that in the presence of a laminated rubber spring, the air spring's dynamic stiffness is moved to higher frequencies. The air spring's dynamic stiffness is reduced at lower frequency when the diameter of the surge pipe is increased. According to the results of the research, the vehicle's speed should be reduced while the air spring is deflated in order to keep the passengers' comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For rail-cum-road bridges with single-level arrangement, there are not only dynamic interference, but also aerodynamic interference between trains and vehicles, which means that the train-induced winds generated by high-speed trains are non-negligible for vehicles. In this work, the test method of moving vehicle model is used to test the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles under train-induced winds. Then, the model of coupled vibration of train–vehicle–bridge system considering train-induced winds is established. Finally, taking a rail-cum-road bridge with single-level arrangement as an example, the coupled vibration of train–vehicle–bridge system considering train-induced winds is analyzed, and the influence of train-induced winds, lateral spacing between trains and vehicles on train–vehicle–bridge system is discussed. The results show that train-induced winds decrease with the increase of the lateral spacing between trains and vehicles. Without considering train-induced winds, the moving train has a greater impact on the vertical response of the vehicle, and a smaller impact on the lateral response of the vehicle. When considering train-induced winds, the lateral response of the vehicle increases significantly, but decreases with the increase of the lateral spacing. In addition, road conditions and the setting of anti-dazzle plates can change traffic safety under train-induced winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of high-speed railways continues to extend in seismic prone areas, but there is limited research on the seismic-induced track irregularities occurred in positions where high-speed railway bridges are involved. Taking a five-span high-speed railway simply supported beam bridge as the engineering example, the corresponding nonlinear system model, with CRTS II slab ballastless track, is established by using ANSYS finite element analysis software. The distribution mode of post-earthquake track residual irregularity is studied, the statistical characteristics of its power spectral density are analyzed, and a representative seismic-induced track geometric irregularity spectrum is constructed. The effects of the site categories and the epicenter distance on seismic-induced track spectrum are also discussed. The results show that after the earthquake, the alignment irregularity is significant, while the vertical, cross-level and gauge irregularities can be ignored. The amplitude of track geometric irregularity, caused by earthquake, increases significantly with the increase of ground motion intensity. The seismic-induced track spectrum obeys lognormal distribution at all frequencies. The track spectra almost coincide for all five site categories, thus, the impact of site categories on the seismic-induced track spectrum of high-speed railway bridges is considered negligible. Due to the pulse effect, the seismic-induced track spectrum of near-field earthquakes is significantly larger than that of far-field earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the probabilistic distribution of maximum wheel unloading rate of high-speed trains and its temporal correlation when a train passes over a bridge, a method for the estimation of the extremal index is proposed. Using the time series threshold theory, the maximum value cumulative distribution function (CDF) when the wheel unloading rate is regarded as a time series is derived and validated. This approach can also address dependent series, which the traditional probability distribution function formulas could not. Then, the difference between treating the wheel unloading rate as a time series and independent series is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, the influence of the number of calculation steps on the threshold is studied, and the differences between thresholds calculated by different extremal indices when considering the number of trains running during the service period of the bridge are explored. The maximum value CDFs of the wheel unloading rate for different track irregularities, bridge lengths, and vehicle speeds are investigated for a three-span simply-supported bridge. The results show that the differences in the maximum value probability density functions (PDFs) obtained by considering the wheel unloading rate as time series and independent random series cannot be ignored. However, when studying a high-confidence level problem, such as the threshold of the wheel unloading rate, the difference between the two approaches is small enough. As the number of calculation steps increases, the extremal index will gradually decrease. When considering a long-distance high-speed rail line, its shorter segment can be used to study the threshold of the wheel unloading rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After increasing the train speed, the wheel-rail coupling effect is intensified, as is the coupling effect between the train and the surrounding air, which causes the severe vibration of the train. Considering this problem and taking the high-speed train as the object of this study, a method for the coupling of aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics is proposed. Its validity is then demonstrated by the results of field tests and moving model experiments. On this basis, the fluid–structure coupling characteristics of a high-speed train passing through a tunnel are studied, as well as the effects of different coupling methods and track irregularities. The obtained results demonstrate that the interaction between the tail car and the surrounding air is significant. In the tunnel and at its exit, the lift and the car body acceleration significantly change, especially when the coupling of aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics, as well as the vertical and lateral track irregularities, are simultaneously imposed. When the head car travels out of the tunnel, the lift of the middle and tail cars both dramatically will change. It is deduced that the fluid–structure interaction has a significant effect on the swing phenomenon of the tail car. This phenomenon is the result of the combined effects of aerodynamics and track irregularities. The different frequencies of the lateral displacement for each car body, except the frequencies of the car bodies themselves, are mainly determined by vertical track irregularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The road–rail dual-use bridge can simultaneously meet the requirements of both the highway and railway transportation owing to its unique bridge type, which makes it environmentally friendly and cost-effective when compared to independent railway and road bridges. This study establishes a dynamic model of a wind-road vehicle–bridge system considering the aerodynamic sheltering effect of trains based on the coupling vibration method of wind-road vehicle–bridge systems. A container truck and a CRH2 high-speed train are considered as the research objectives, and a series of wind tunnel tests are conducted for the train and truck running simultaneously on a road–rail dual-use bridge to determine the effect of the aerodynamic interference of trains on the aerodynamic characteristics and dynamic behavior of vehicles under crosswinds. The entire process of driving the truck through the cable-stayed bridge under crosswinds and the interference of stationary trains is subsequently simulated to generate the time histories of the dynamic displacements of the truck. Consequently, the effect of the stationary trains is separately compared at different locations, such as on the track of the bridge deck and on the truck placed upwind and downwind. Furthermore, the interference effect of stationary trains on the truck placed upwind and downwind is analyzed corresponding to different wind yaw angles. The results demonstrate that the presence of trains on the bridge significantly affects the aerodynamic coefficients and dynamic responses of the truck placed downwind when compared to the truck placed upwind. Additionally, the presence of the trains on the bridge deck has a different effect on the aerodynamic coefficients and dynamic responses of the truck placed downwind. The effect of the trains on the truck at different wind yaw angles presents different patterns of change for different locations of the trains on the bridge deck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic damper cum energy harvester (EMDEH) is an emerging dual-function device that enables simultaneous energy harvesting and vibration control. This study presents a novel energy-harvesting adaptive vibration control application of EMDEH on the basis of the past EMDEH development in passive control. The proposed EMDEH comprises an electromagnetic damper connected to a specifically designed energy harvesting circuit (EHC), wherein the EHC is a buck–boost converter with a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a bridge rectifier. The effectiveness of the energy-harvesting adaptive vibration damping is validated numerically through a high-speed train (HST) model running at different speeds. MCU-controlled adaptive duty cycle adjustment in the EHC enables the EMDEHs to adaptively offer the optimal damping coefficients that are highly dependent on train speeds. In the meantime, the harvested power can be stored in rechargeable batteries by the EHC. Numerical results project the average output power ranging from 40.5 W to 589.8 W from four EMDEHs at train speed of 100–340 km/h, with a maximum output power efficiency of approximately 35%. In comparison to energy-harvesting passive vibration control and a pure viscous damper, the proposed energy-harvesting adaptive control strategy can improve vibration reductions by approximately 40% and 27%, respectively, at a speed of 340 km/h. These numerical results clearly demonstrate the benefit and prospect of the proposed energy-harvesting adaptive vibration control in HST suspensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]