A preliminary investigation of vibration mitigation technique for the high-speed railway in seasonally frozen regions

Finite element (FE) simulations are increasingly providing a versatile environment for conducting dynamic response studies on the embankment induced by high-speed train (HST). In this environment, vibration mitigation strategies for the subgrade may be assessed to achieve economic and practical solutions. To investigate the vibration behaviors of embankment induced by HST in seasonally frozen regions, an FE modeling was developed and validated by the field test. The investigation noted significant differences in response features in different seasons. For the sake of providing useful engineering information relating to vibration mitigation, a parametric study was conducted to preliminarily investigate the effect of constructing a wave impeding barrier (WIB) at the site. The influences of the material modulus, the size and the embedded depth of WIB on the vibration mitigation were also systematically analyzed in the time domain and frequency domain and then discussed. It showed that the stiffening effect of the WIB led to a shift of response from a large one to a small one. The results convincingly indicated that the vibration mitigation effect of WIB would be improved when its modulus and size increased or the embedded depth decreased. And it also revealed that the WIB might amplify rather than reduce the ground vibration when its embedded depth was larger than a threshold value. Overall, the conducted study highlights the potency of vibration mitigation in seasonally frozen regions by installing a WIB in the subgrade.