Parametrical analysis of the railways dynamic response at high speed moving loads

The paper introduces some findings about a sensitivity analysis conducted on every geometrical and mechanical parameters which characterize the use of a railway superstructure at the high velocity. This analysis was carried out by implementing a forecast model that is derived from the simplified Gazetas and Dobry one. This model turns out to be particularly appropriate in the explication of problems connected to high velocity, since it evaluates both inertial and viscous effects activated by the moving load speed. The model implementation requires the transfer function determination that represents the action occurred by the bed surfaces on the railway and it therefore contains information concerning the geometrical and the mechanical characteristics of the embankment, of the ballast and of the sub-ballast. The transfer function H has been evaluated with the finite elements method and particularly, by resorting the ANSYS code with a harmonic structural analysis in the frequencies field. The authors, from the critic examination of the system’s dynamics response in its entirety, glean a series of observations both of a general and a specific character, finally attaining a propose of a design modification of the standard railway superstructure at the high velocity of train operation adopted today especially in Italy.