A framework in three different project stages to predict ground-borne noise of trains in railway tunnels

Trains passing through tunnels cause noise and vibrations that negatively affect nearby residents. Developing a model to effectively predict ground-borne noise in nearby buildings faces challenges in the early project phases due to limited available data. This study suggests a framework for three stages based on precision and available information: location stage, planning stage, and construction stage. The first two stages correspond to determining the location and designing the railway track. The third stage involves the construction of the railway tunnel where more detailed information may be acquired by measurements on site. The prediction model presented here is formulated as a source term and correction terms considering train type, track type, track treatment, train speed, distance attenuation, foundation coupling, and floor-to-floor attenuation. Moreover, instead of using safety factors, which may cause unnecessary increase in project costs, the concept of combined uncertainty is applied here, using the estimated standard deviation of each term and the root sum of squares. Consequently, a comprehensive ground-borne noise prediction model adapted to various stages and handling uncertainties is proposed.