White Papers

In congested areas, the close vicinity of rail tracks to buildings, structures and people or sensitive facilities often leads to conflict in respect of the transmission of vibrations. Reviewing various vibration attenuation measures, this whitepaper illustrates different floating trackbed systems and describes their main characteristics and design aspects. It also explains the construction features as well as the installation of the elastic interfaces. Various aspects of floating trackbed systems such as slab length, floating trackbeds on steel springs, steel spring elements for floating trackbeds are covered. Examples of floating trackbeds on steel springs which include trough-type floating trackbed, and slab-type floating trackbed, slab-type floating trackbed above ground are included. Providing the measurements performed inside the Cologne tunnel on top of the floating slabs as well as on the tunnel walls, the report concludes that with well designed low-tuned floating trackbeds, high vibration attenuation levels can be reliably achieved and those supported on steel springs, long slabs, or troughs provide advantages in terms of construction, installation and performance.