Modeling of train-induced environmental vibrations from railway traffic: a state-of-the-art review

Abstract The growing demand for sustainable transport has led to increasing interest in developing rail transit networks for both intra-city and inter-city travel. However, train-induced vibrations may cause significant negative environmental impacts on nearby buildings, sensitive equipment, and residents, thereby garnering considerable attention from researchers and engineers. An efficient prediction model is essential for assessing train-induced vibrations and for designing appropriate vibration mitigation measures. The complex dynamics of the train, track, infrastructure, soils, and buildings, along with their interactions, make the modeling of train-induced environmental vibrations a challenging task. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-art methods for modeling train-induced vibrations from surface and underground railway traffic. It begins by addressing wave propagation in natural soils, followed by an in-depth examination of analytical, numerical, and empirical approaches for predicting train-induced vibrations in the ground and buildings. Finally, this paper identifies unresolved issues in the field and outlines areas that require further investigation.