MODELING OF RAILWAY TRACK AND VEHICLE TRACK INTERACTION AT HIGH-FREQUENCIES

A review is presented of dynamic modelling of railway track and of the interaction of vehicle and track at frequencies which are sufficientl y high for the track's dynamic behaviour to be significant. Since nois e is one of the most important consequences of wheel/rail interaction at high frequencies, the maximum frequency of interest is about 5kHz: the limit of human hearing. The topic is reviewed both historically an d in particular with reference to the application of modelling to the solution of practical problems. Good models of the rail, the sleeper a nd the wheelset are now available for the whole frequency range of int erest. However, it is at present impossible to predict either the dyna mic behaviour of the railpad and ballast or their long term behaviour. This is regarded as the most promising area for future research.