From Tramway to Hyperloop - Elasticity for the Modern Railway Superstructure
Stefan Vonbun
Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH, Austria
Thursday, December 6th 2018
14:00-17:00
Room 5.5 (Viale Risorgimento 2, Bologna)
Abstract: The main problems of railway traffic are the same everywhere in the world: vibrations that are transmitted from the superstructure to the surroundings. Humans feel and hear them in the form of structure-borne noise and secondary airborne noise, these effects are not only annoying but can also pose a severe health risk. Additionally the immense maintenance efforts that are caused by the deterioration of all the materials (rail, ballast, sleepers) used to build the railway superstructure. Getzner Werkstoffe develops and manufactures elastic products and systems for vibration isolation and maintenance reduction. These innovative materials engineered and produced in Austria are capable to perform under very different operating conditions (axle load, speed and climate). The solutions are proven and tested in railway tracks across the globe. Nevertheless, the knowledge about elasticity in the railway track is a niche topic, which is often overlooked and is still far from being a standard in the railway industry.
The aim of this seminar is to raise awareness for the problems that occur in railway tracks due to a lack of elasticity and to present state-of-the-art solutions emphasized by successful project case studies. The three hour seminar is divided into three main parts:
(1) Introduction to vibration technology;
(2) Elastic solutions for slab track applications;
(3) Elastic solutions for ballasted track applications.
The target group are students (MSc, PhD) of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Railway Engineering and similar fields who want to gain knowledge about vibration isolation and lifecycle cost reduction for railways.