01623395

Component

The question of how much low-frequency vibration is generated by operations of typical light rail vehicles is an important issue when a proposed light rail system will be in close proximity to vibration sensitive research facilities. In this paper the authors define low-frequency vibration to be vibration radiated at frequencies below 25 Hz because rail transit vibration often is lower than the vibration from buses and trucks at frequencies below 25 Hz. This paper is largely based on vibration measurements vibration performed in support of the vibration monitoring system that was installed in the University-Link extension of the Seattle Link LRT system. The monitoring system is designed to protect vibration sensitive research facilities that are relatively close to the subway. The testing has shown that there is substantial low-frequency vibration at the vibration monitors from traffic on nearby roadways and that this vibration is often greater than the vibration generated by train operations. In other words, at low frequencies, the vibration from trains passing about 10 ft from the monitors is often less than the vibration created by traffic that is at least 200 ft from the monitors. This is a non-intuitive result, and the primary purpose of this paper is to examine possible reasons for this result and what factors contribute to the low-frequency traffic vibration being greater than the low-frequency train vibration. The results of this analysis are applicable to other rail transit projects where low frequency vibration interfering with research equipment is a concern.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADC40 Standing Committee on Transportation-Related Noise and Vibration. Alternate title: Low-Frequency Vibration from Rail Transit Operations

01618707

17-00536

English

18p

2017

Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Maps; References

Environmental impacts; Light rail transit; Low frequency; Subways; Vibration

Seattle (Washington)

Environment; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2017 Paper #17-00536

PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 8 2016 10:06AM