Numerical simulation of floor vibrations of a metro depot under moving subway trains

Abstract

With the development of subway lines in urban areas, building structures are sometimes subjected to train-induced vibrations, and there is a need to develop prediction models to evaluate the vibration serviceability. In this paper, a new type of subway-depot system is investigated, where subway trains run through the top story of a 3-story metro depot, while the first two stories were developed for offices and shops to avoid the waste of large city areas. Considering the increasing use of such a structural system and the possible serviceability problems, the floor vibrations of a metro depot under moving subway trains were numerically simulated, where the train-track system was treated as the vibration source and studied separately, and the influence of train speed and fastener configuration on the vibration response was discussed. The metro depot was modeled taking the stiffness of the partition walls into account, and vibration responses of the building at different locations were compared and validated through field tests. Besides, vibration level of the second floor was evaluated using an acceleration index that considers frequency weighting. Finally, parameter analysis was carried out so as to provide some references to the vibration control.