Reducing Railway Track Vibrations by Applying Particle-Damping Systems

The wheel–rail contact is an intrinsic characteristic of rail transport. This contact is one of the main reasons why rails are so efficient for transportation, mainly due to the very low friction coefficient between them and the wheels. However, this strong argument also leads to a disadvantage: the wheel contact is also associated with excessive vibration and noise, which have a strong impact on the passengers’ comfort and especially the surrounding community. These noises and vibrations impact the public in several ways, like disturbing sleep, increasing stress and heart-associated diseases. The main objective of the present work is to investigate the rail vibration attenuation by applying particle dampers. Four different particles will be studied, and their effectiveness in reducing the rail vibrations will be analysed. Promising results were found, where under certain conditions, the particle dampers, such as lead and magnetite particles, were able to reduce peak vibration levels by more than an order of magnitude. The application of this system may have a strong impact on the communities using and in the vicinity of rail systems by reducing the noise and vibration, consequently improving people’s health and well-being.