Track Decay Rate Analysis and Rail Damper Noise Reduction for Slab Tracks

The STARDAMP software tool enables prediction and assessment of the performance of wheel and rail dampers. This paper supports ongoing validation and testing efforts by examining the use of STARDAMP in relation to assessing the performance of rail dampers on slab track with highly resilient fasteners. This track type is common on transit systems that are increasingly considering rail dampers for noise control. The normal assessment approach of summing a measured undamped TDR with a damped short rail DR may under-predict the rail damper benefit for some slab tracks. Alternatively the damper effect may be estimated by summing the predicted undamped TDRs with a damped DR from a short rail test, supported by investigations of the dominant rolling noise frequencies. The STARDAMP slab track model may limit the accuracy of rolling noise prediction by ignoring baseplate dynamic effects.