Numerical prediction of low-frequency ground vibrations induced by high-speed trains at Ledsgaard, Sweden

The ground vibrations induced by a passenger train at the test site of Ledsgaard, Sweden, have been analysed and numerically simulated through a spectral element discretization of the soil. To calculate the spatial distribution of loading due to train passage, the train is decoupled from the track, and a suitable series of static forces is applied. The track and the embankment are modeled as a beam on elastic foundation, using analytical solutions for loads moving at constant velocity. The results of both 2D and 3D modelling assumptions are thoroughly discussed, in terms of prediction of track motion and of attenuation of peak ground velocity with distance.