WiABahn - Akustische Wirkung von gleisnahen Abschirmkanten und Bahnsteigdächern

Introduction

Railway platforms are located very close to the track and thus are assumed to alter the sound propagation. The degree of this effect, however, has not yet been investigated in detail

Aims

The aim of the project WiaBahn was to investigate the shielding effect of railway platforms. One of the main questions was how to properly deal with the vicinity to the track, the platform’s large reflecting horizontal surface, and the often present canopy. It is unclear whether standard noise propagation prediction methods can be applied without modifications.

Methods

Based on measurements directly at the platform as well as in the distance the acoustic effect of low railway platforms was investigated and suitable source models for the 2.5D boundary element method (BEM) as well as for standardized prediction methods were derived. The advantage of the 2.5D method which was also used in the project PASS is, that a constant cross-section can be combined with point sources or incoherent line sources which is not possible with pure 2D methods. 3D BEM is not feasible for such large structures.

WiaBahn was funded by the FFG (project 845678) and the ÖBB. The project was done in cooperation with the  Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT, project leader) and Kirisits Engineering Consultants.