Background for a new standard on pass-by measurement of combined roughness, track decay rate and vibroacoustic transfer functions

A measurement method for combined roughness, track decay rates and transfer functions derived from rail vibration during a train pass-by was initially developed in the late nineties [1]. This method was later implemented in software tools [2] and applied in several countries for various purposes [3, 4, 5]. Due to the broad application potential and the need for a common approach, standardisation work has been undertaken since 2011 within the framework of CEN /TC256/WG3. This resulted in a draft CEN Technical Report [6] in 2013, describing the method and providing background information on benchmarks that could serve as a basis for a new standard. In this paper, the scope and the main elements of the method are presented and performance aspects are discussed