Ballast mats for the reduction of railway traffic vibrations. Numerical study

This paper presents a numerical study developed in order to understand the dynamic behavior of ballasted tracks with mats including the train–track–ground interaction. In order to achieve that goal, a case study is modeled by a 2.5D FEM–BEM formulation. A comprehensive approach is presented and the effects of the mat stiffness and location in depth are discussed. The comparison between isolated and non-isolated scenarios allowed concluding that the ballast mat has a dual effect, focusing on the train–track dynamic behavior and on the reduction of high-frequency vibrations that are transmitted to the ground. Furthermore, it was found that global efficiency can be reached by placing the mat beneath the subballast instead of below the ballast layer. ► Numerical modelling of track–ground vibrations induced by traffic. ► Mitigation of vibrations induced by railway traffic. ► Study of the efficiency of ballast mats for the mitigation of vibrations induced by traffic. ► Dynamic train–track–ground interaction.