APPENDIX

Measurement of Train Pass-by Noise

A.1 MEASUREMENT QUANTITIES

Considering a notional time history of the noise during a train pass-by, shown in Figure A1, several different single number quantities are used to dene the noise level.

Maximum level
This is the maximum A-weighted sound pressure level (with the averaging set to fast) over the pass-by, LAmax. Commonly, the term maximum level is also used to refer to the average level of the plateau region during a pass-by. This is more useful than the actual maximum level, which can be inuenced by a single noisy wheel, but is less well dened.

SEL (sound exposure level)

The SEL is formed from the integral of the squared pressure over the whole passby (including the rising and falling parts), normalized to 1 second: SEL 10log10  t2
t1

p 2 t dt p2 ref

 (A1)

Lmax Sound pressure level, dB

Leq,Tp

SEL

20 dB

Leq,T

1s

Tp

time

FIGURE A1 Notional time history of train pass-by noise indicating various quantities

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RAILWAY NOISE AND VIBRATION

where p(t) is the pressure at time t, pref is the reference pressure and the times t1 and t2 are chosen to include the whole pass-by, or more practically they are usually dened as the points at which the level is 10 or 20 dB below the maximum level, as shown in Figure A1. As the passage time is usually longer than 1 s this will give a level that is higher than the maximum level. The SEL can readily be used as input to a calculation of long-term noise exposure based on equivalent sound levels, LAeq.

Short-term equivalent levels

The short-term equivalent levels, LAeq,T are dened in a similar way to long-term Leq values. These have the form LAeq;T 10log10  t2 2  1 p t dt T t 1 p2 ref (A2)

where T t2 t1. The duration T may be chosen to represent the length of a vehicle or of the whole train (Tp, the length of the train over buffers, divided by its speed) or it may be the time between points at which the level is 10 or 20 dB below the maximum level. For a train of similar vehicles, LAeq,Tp, the equivalent pass-by level, is a more formalized means of measuring the average level during the pass-by. However, it does not take account of the rising and falling parts of the measurement and so it does not include the whole energy of the train pass-by. This makes it less suitable for calculating long-term Leq values. On the other hand, the equivalent level over the 10 or 20 dB points takes account of the whole pass-by but presents a level that is lower than the LAeq,Tp and which is sensitive to the duration included in the average.

TEL (transit exposure level)

The TEL is formed from the same integral as the SEL, i.e. over the whole pass-by, but is normalized by the passage time Tp rather than the measurement time:  TEL 10log10 1 Tp t2
t1

p2 t dt p2 ref

 (A3)

Since Tp < t2 t1, again the TEL may be greater than the maximum level. The TEL results measured for various high speed trains [A1] were found to be between 0.5 and 1.5 dB higher than the corresponding LAeq,Tp results.

A.2 MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES ISO 3095-1975

Since 1975, ISO 3095 provided a standard method of measuring train pass-by noise [A2]. This was based on a measurement location at 25 m from the centre of the

APPENDIX A

Measurement of Train Pass-by Noise

487

track. The measurement quantity was the maximum A-weighted sound pressure level (with the averaging set to fast) over the pass-by, LAmax. The principal difculties with ISO 3095-1975 were that the track condition was not dened other than that it should be in good condition. Large variations can be found for a given vehicle depending on the test location.

ISO 3095:2005
A modied standard was under development for a considerable time and was nally approved in 2005, ISO 3095:2005 [A3]. This includes a limit on the rail roughness and denition of the track in terms of decay rates. These are intended to ensure that the measurement is inuenced as little as possible by the track, and mainly determined by the properties of the vehicle (both its roughness and its vibroacoustic properties). The noise level is dened in terms of the TEL for the whole train or the LAeq,Tp for parts of the train.

TSI High Speed Trains 2002

The Technical Specications for Interoperability (TSI) were produced for the European Union following Directives and include requirements for noise levels. These dene their own measurement procedure and also set limit values for trains. The TSI for High Speed Trains [A4] came into effect in 2002. It includes a limit curve for roughness which is more strict than that in ISO 3095:2005. The track was dened in terms of its type of rails, sleepers and pad stiffness. The noise level is dened in terms of the TEL for the whole train or the LAeq,Tp for parts of the train, as in ISO 3095:2005. However, the TSI-HS is undergoing revision and these requirements are likely to change to bring them into line with the TSI for Conventional Rail.

TSI Conventional Rail 2004

The TSI for railway vehicles intended to operate at conventional speeds (up to 190 km/h) was introduced subsequent to that for high speed trains [A5]. Consequently, the measurement procedure dened was updated. The track specication, referred to as ATSI, includes a different rail roughness specication and the track was dened in terms of its decay rate rather than the pad stiffness. The measurement quantity is now LAeq,Tp for the whole train as well as individual vehicles or parts of the train.

A.3 THE NOEMIE PROJECT

The European NOEMIE test campaign provided trackside noise emission values of several high speed trains at speeds up to 320 km/h including comparisons of measurements on the same train made in different countries [A1]. Operational tracks were chosen in ve European countries, intended to satisfy the conditions for the TSIs and were ground to ensure low roughness. The roughness levels of these and several other tracks considered are shown in Figure A2 along with the limit values of ISO 3095:2005, TSI-HS and ATSI (TSI-CR).

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20

RAILWAY NOISE AND VIBRATION

1/3 octave band roughness level, dB re 1m

15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 0.5

Italy Spain Germany Germany (ZW900) France CR (Toury) Belgium (South) Belgium (North) TSI ISO limit ATSI TSI+

0.25

0.125

0.063

0.0315

0.016

0.008

0.004

Wavelength, m

FIGURE A2 Roughness measured at test sites in NOEMIE along with various limit values (from [A1])

Finally, an alternative limit was proposed referred to as TSI+ which corresponds to the original TSI limit at short wavelengths and the ATSI limit at long wavelengths, which was intended to be more readily achievable. Most of the tracks can be seen to satisfy this limit in most frequency bands, although the effect of grinding can be seen in some cases at a wavelength of 25 mm. In contrast, the TSI rail roughness limit was met in some cases, but the ATSI limit appeared to be too demanding for the existing operational rail grinding techniques [A1]. In addition, a revised limit for track decay rates was proposed in the TSI+ specications intended to reduce further the potential inuence of the track in the measurements [A1].
REFERENCES
[A1] P. Fodiman and M. Staiger. Improvement of the noise technical specications for interoperability: the input of the Noemie project. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 293, 475484, 2006. [A2] International standard Acoustics Measurements of noise emitted by railbound vehicles, ISO 30951975. [A3] International standard Railway applications Acoustics Measurements of noise emitted by railbound vehicles, ISO 3095:2005. [A4] Commission decision of 30 May 2002 concerning the technical specication for interoperability relating to the rolling stock subsystem of the trans-European high-speed rail system referred to in Article 6(1) of Directive 96/48/EC, reference 2002/735/EC. Ofcial Journal of the European Communities, 12, September 2002. [A5] Directive 2001/16/EC of the European parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2001 on the interoperability of the trans-European conventional rail system. Ofcial Journal of the European Communities, 2, April 2001.