This study examines the impact of railway-induced ground-borne vibrations on nearby structures and residents, focusing on the effectiveness of the metawedge, a novel mitigation measure. The metawedge consists of a series of periodically arranged resonators along the propagation path, either placed on the ground surface or embedded at various depths. Unlike classical locally-resonant metamaterials, the metawedge features resonators with smoothly varying resonance frequencies in the longitudinal direction. Two metawedge designs, the forward and inverse metawedge, have been proposed in the literature. Despite their similarities, they operate on different principles: the forward metawedge decelerates incoming surface waves, localizing energy, while the inverse metawedge accelerates the waves, converting Rayleigh waves into body waves. This study compares the performance of both designs in mitigating train-induced ground-borne vibrations. Results indicate that both the forward and inverse metawedge exhibit remarkably similar performance for the specific design adopted. If this similarity holds across different designs, it offers engineers flexibility in choosing the appropriate measure based on practical needs. More generally, this work demonstrates the potential and feasibility of using metamaterials to address current and future challenges in railway transportation.@en

The current study is concerned with ground-borne vibrations induced by railways and their impact on nearby structures and inhabitants. More specifically, it explores the efficacy of the so-called metawedge, a novel mitigation measure, in reducing ground-borne vibrations along the propagation path. A metawedge comprises a series of periodically arranged resonators along the propagation direction positioned either on the ground surface or embedded into the soil at varying depths. The difference between the metawedge and a classical locally-resonant metamaterial is that the metawedge resonators have a smooth variation of the resonance frequency with longitudinal direction. This arrangement enables the conversion of incoming Rayleigh waves into body waves, effectively channeling the energy deeper into the ground. While a theoretical proof-of-concept has been previously presented by the authors, this study makes a step forward by proposing a realizable design. Simulations indicate that a metawedge with realistic properties can significantly diminish vibration levels. Unlike conventional single trenches, which are effective only against incoming waves beyond a specific angle (outside a critical cone), the metawedge proves efficient also within this cone. This work aims to showcase the potential and feasibility of metamaterials to address present and future challenges in railway transportation.@en

Railway induced ground vibrations are of increasing importance for structures and inhabitants in the vicinity of railway tracks. This study investigates the capabilities of a novel mitigation measure, a so-called metawedge, in reducing the ground-borne vibration at the receiver end. A metawedge is series of barriers (i.e., resonators) arranged periodically in the longitudinal direction and each one is offset with respect to the others in depth direction (i.e., while the first barrier is completely on the surface, the last barrier can be completely embedded). The advantage of this countermeasure is that it can convert the incoming Rayleigh (surface) waves into body ones, redirecting the energy content deep into the ground. Simulation results show that the metawedge is capable of significantly reducing the vibration levels with as few as five resonators. Furthermore, while conventional single trenches are efficient as mitigation measures only at a certain angle of the incoming waves (outside the critical cone), the metawedge is efficient inside this cone. Although the metawedge solution is promising, this paper serves solely as a proof of concept, and additional studies are necessary to design realistic resonators that can comply with the low frequencies of the railway induced ground vibrations. Nonetheless, this study shows that metamaterials-inspired solutions can play an important role in addressing present and future challenges of the railway transportation.@en

In recent times, railway transportation has received increasing attention, particularly for its ability to operate entirely on electricity sourced from renewable sources. However, the growing demand for railway services has transformed previously acceptable issues into significant challenges, disrupting normal traffic operations. One such issue is ground-borne vibration especially in urban and inter-urban locations. This study explores the efficacy of a novel mitigation technique, termed a "metawedge," in reducing ground-borne vibration at the receiving end. The metawedge consists of a series of periodically arranged barriers that act as resonators. Unlike traditional metamaterials, each resonator within the metawedge possesses slightly different natural frequencies compared to its neighbours. With an appropriate choice of this variation, incoming Rayleigh (surface) waves are converted into body waves, redirecting energy deeper into the ground. Simulation results demonstrate that the metawedge can significantly diminish vibration levels with just a few resonators. Additionally, unlike conventional single trenches, which effectively mitigate vibrations only at specific angles of incoming waves (outside the critical cone), the metawedge remains efficient within this cone. While a theoretical proof-of-concept has been previously presented by the authors, this study makes a step forward by proposing a realizable design. Consequently, this work showcases the potential and feasibility of metamaterials to address present and future challenges in railway transportation.@en