Prediction of Rail and Bridge Noise in Near- and Far-Field: A Combined 2.5-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Method

Bridge noise and rail noise induced by passing trains should be included while estimating low- and medium-frequency (20–1000 Hz) noise in railway viaducts. However, the prediction of bridge noise and rail noise using a three-dimensional (3D) acoustic model is not efficient, especially for far-field points. In this study, a combined 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) and two-dimensional (2D) method is proposed to predict bridge noise and rail noise in both the near- and far-field. First, the near-field noise is obtained by combining the 2.5D acoustic model and a 3D vehicle–track–bridge interaction analysis. Then, the 2D method is used to estimate the attenuation of bridge noise and rail noise in the far-field, and the accuracy is validated through comparison with the 2.5D method. Third, the near-field points are treated as reference sources, and the noise at far-field points is predicted by combining the 2.5D and 2D methods. Finally, the proposed method is used to predict the bridge noise and rail noise for a box girder and a U-shaped girder. The spatial distribution of the bridge noise and rail noise is investigated. Generally, the rail noise is dominant above the bridge, and the bridge noise has a larger contribution to the total noise beneath the bridge. The rail noise from the U-shaped girder is much smaller than that from the box girder due to the shielding effect of the webs.