The study of urban track transportation environmental noise and vibration prevention: floating slab track of Taipei MRT

Abstract

This paper will discuss how population density and traffic jams are common phenomena in modern society. Although roadway areas increase every year, traffic congestion still cannot be solved effectively. Land transportation is now turning to track transportation. Track transportation has many advantages, but the noise and vibration induced from the wheel/rail contact are sensitive issues to the neighboring residents along the line in the urban areas. Much complaint about noise and vibration arose from the residents along the Taipei MRT lines where the MRT tunnels were underneath the buildings, so Floating Slab Track (FST), one of the best solutions of noise and vibration prevention in the track engineering, was applied to the Taipei MRT. This paper studies the overall issues of the FST based on the localized consideration in the planning, design, construction, final noise and vibration performance measurement stages, including the mode of structure analyses, vibration isolating component, material, localize geotechnical parameters, type of structure, rail fastener, elastic coefficient, vibration isolating component, the actually performance of noise and vibration deduction, etc. The authors hope to share practical experience of the noise and vibration prevention/environmental pollution prevention in urban transportation to other railway systems or with academics in the environment and railway fields in other part of the world.