An Arnoldi reduction strategy applied to the semi-analytical finite element method to model railway track vibrations

Modelling the vibrational response of railway tracks is a mandatory step to predict rolling noise. This article proposes a model based on the semi-analytical finite element method (SAFE) taking into account the three main characteristics of railway tracks: infinite length in the longitudinal direction, deformable cross-section, and periodic track support. Although this approach is ideally suited to predict rail vibrations, numerical instabilities undermine its reliability at low frequencies. Consequently, a new approach using the second-order Arnoldi reduction (SOAR) is used, which allows to provide the required numerical stability. Lastly, numerical results are compared with classical railway track behaviours described in the literature, as well as experimental data and 3D finite element simulations.