Vertical Bridge Deck Acceleration Investigation Considering Ballasted Track Stability and Train Running Safety - VIBRATS, 101211105

Project title: Vertical Bridge Deck Acceleration Investigation Considering Ballasted Track Stability and Train Running Safety - VIBRATS, 101211105
Project leader:  Raid Karoumi  , Division of Structural engineering and bridges, KTH
Other participants in the project from KTH: Can Shi, Division of Structural engineering and bridges, KTH
Financing: EU, Horizon Europe, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships PF
Project period: 2025-05-01 - 2027-04-30

 The VIBRATS project aims to provide additional background for revising criteria for vertical bridge deck acceleration limits, contribute to more economical designs and maintenance practices for both bridges and ballasted track, and promote the sustainability of railway transport. Through a combination of full-scale experimental studies, numerical simulations using the Discrete Element Method (DEM), and an advanced vehicle-track-bridge model, the research will explore the dynamic interactions among bridge deck acceleration, ballast interlock, track stability, and train running safety.
This project involves significant multidisciplinary research, leveraging collaboration with top-tier experts in railway engineering. The applicant will conduct VIBRATS under the supervision of world-renowned bridge experts at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and railway track experts at University of Birmingham. We will fully utilize their respective expertise and resources in the fields of ballasted track and bridge dynamics research, combined with my own experience in DEM simulation of ballasted track and vehicle-track coupled dynamics. This project will not only enhance the applicant's research capabilities and professional skills but also provide a platform for expanding networks within the railway engineering community, facilitating future collaborative research.
VIBRATS will also offer valuable technical guidance for updating bridge design standards and maintenance practices, reducing reliance on empirical decision-making and optimizing railway infrastructure performance. The project is expected to reduce life-cycle maintenance costs by up to 10% in specific use cases and potentially lower construction costs by an estimated 5%(expected). These outcomes will contribute to more sustainable and economical designs for railway bridges and tracks, aligning with the European Green Deal's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing the sustainability of rail transport.