NTL Record

Title In-Service Performance and Costs of Methods to Control Urban Rail System Noise - Final Report
Record ID 49773
Personal Name
Creator
Saurenman, Hugh J.; Shipley, Robert L.; Wilson, George Paul
Source 131p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator Wilson, Ihrig & Associates; DeLeuw Cather & Co.
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Department of Transportation. Research and Special Programs Administration. John A. Volpe National Transportation System Center; United States. Department of Transportation. Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Office of Technology Development and Deployment; United States. Department of Transportation. Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Office of Rail and Construction Technology
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation. Urban Mass Transportation Administration
Publication Date 19791201
Language English
Abstract This is the final report of a study evaluating the acoustic and economic effectiveness of five methods of controlling wheel/rail noise and vibration on urban rail transit systems. Evaluations of rail grinding, wheel truing, resilient wheels, ring-damped wheels and welded vs. jointed rail were performed under revenue service conditions on the Market-Frankford Line of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) rail transit system. This report summarizes the noise, vibration and cost results of the study and compares the measurement results with similar studies performed at other transit systems. Tests of the propulsion equipment noise showed that the propulsion equipment noise limited the reduction of wheel/rail noise that could be observed in this study. The general conclusions regarding noise and vibration control are: grinding rail without visible corrugations or other large scale roughnesses will result in only small reductions of noise and vibration; truing wheels without visible wheel flats or other large scale roughnesses will result in 0 to 5 dBA noise reduction and 0 to 10 dB reduction of ground vibration; resilient wheels are very effective at reducing wheel squeal but provide only small reductions of noise on tangent track; resilient wheels can provide significant reductions of ground vibration above 20 Hz; ring-damped wheels are very effective at reducing wheel squeal as long as the rings are free in the grooves; ring-damped wheels do not provide significant reductions of noise on tangent track; welded rail is to dB quieter than jointed rail. The economic evaluation was based upon SEPTA operations and costs incurred luring the test program. This data was supplemented by information obtained from other North American transit systems and equipment and wheel manufacturers. Life-cycle cost equations were developed for the various control methods.
Rosap ID dot:11197
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/11197
TRT Terms Acoustic measuring instruments; Acoustics; Analysis; Railroad wheels; Costs; Economic analysis; Environmental impacts; Grinding; Lathes; Machining; Noise; Noise control; Railroad tracks; Railroads; Rapid transit; Sound level; Urban transportation; Wheels
Classification AGR - IMPACTS - Environment;
NTL - PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION;
NTL - PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Rail Transit;
NTL - PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Transit Energy and Environment;
NTL - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT;
NTL - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - Transit Energy and Environment;
NTL - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - Environment Impacts
Geographical
Coverage
Pennsylvania
Report Number DOT-TSC-UMTA-79-43; UMTA-MA-06-0099-80-1
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/49000/49700/49773/inserviceperform00saur.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository