Modeling of Vibrations Induced by Mecca-Medinah High-Speed Train and Earthquake Mitigation Analysis
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: In recent years, a new high-speed rail (HSR) network, known as the Al-Haramain HSR, has been developed to connect the two holiest Muslim cities in Saudi Arabia, Mecca and Medina. The operation of the HSR generates ground-borne vibrations that may affect the surrounding neighborhoods. This study investigates ground vibration measurements collected at a farm located adjacent to the Al-Haramain HSR track. The soil stratigraphy was investigated using the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) method to determine the shear-wave velocity profile. In the MASW procedure, a series of 12 geophones, spaced at 3 m intervals, were used to measure and record the seismic surface waves generated by a seismic source. Sledgehammer (5.0 kg) was used to generate surface (Rayleigh) waves. In addition, a three-dimensional finite element model was developed using PLAXIS 3D software to further elucidate the vibration characteristics and propose a vibration mitigation solution. The model involves a coupled track/soil system with moving axial loads, which simulates a vertical moving load with the same speed as the HSR. The comparison of the numerical and experimental results demonstrates that the numerical model can correctly predict the ground vibration produced by the high-speed train. To explore vibration mitigation schemes, the validated numerical model was used to examine the effectiveness of Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) barrier as well as geogrid mesh in reducing the lateral rail vibration arising from potential earthquakes. The numerical results showed that TDA barrier can effectively reduce the lateral rail vibration.
Authors: Ahmed Taha, Hany El Naggar, Ikrema Hassan, Farid Rehimi, Abdulrahman Yussef, Talal Merghelani
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7084063959