Predicting sensitive building vibration due to railway excitation

Due to the rapid development of urban railway networks, the problem of ground-borne vibration induced by railway traffic becomes important. For some buildings, these ground vibrations can induce cosmetic and structural damages and must be avoided according to the protection rules for old buildings. In the prediction of ground-borne vibration from railway systems, the amplification factor between each part of the building and the building foundation is not the only factor to take into account; the overall coupling between the building and the soil, as well as the nature of the excitation, remain important factors that must be mastered to reduce the vibration transmitted up through the buildings. The aim of this paper is to analyse the parameters that affects the vibration and to propose innovative solutions to help to reduce excessive vibration.