Experimental study on the performance of a rail damper

Abstract

This paper is aiming to present the assessment of the performance of an innovative experimental demonstrative rail damper, which mixes viscoelastic properties of rubber with the damping capacity of oil and the inertia of two steel pieces. Nine pairs of rail dampers are mounted every 60 cm on both sides of the rail web along a 5.4 m long rail. The experimental results of assessing the vibration attenuation on the undamped versus damped rail are described. The frequency range of the dampers efficacy is identified and the attenuation of vibration is determined.