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Machine learning-driven investigation of environmental effects on dynamic behavior of railway noise barriers based on long-term field test
Luleå Univ Technol, Dept Civil Environm & Nat Resources Engn, Div Struct & Fire Engn, S-97187 Luleå, Sweden.
Luleå Univ Technol, Dept Civil Environm & Nat Resources Engn, Div Struct & Fire Engn, S-97187 Luleå, Sweden.
Luleå Univ Technol, Dept Civil Environm & Nat Resources Engn, Div Struct & Fire Engn, S-97187 Luleå, Sweden.
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Civil and Architectural Engineering, Structural Engineering and Bridges.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8926-2140
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2026 (English)In: Engineering structures, ISSN 0141-0296, E-ISSN 1873-7323, Vol. 348, article id 121812Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The passage of trains by railway noise barriers induces vibrations that may affect their fatigue performance and reduce their service life. However, long-term field monitoring of noise barriers under complex environmental and operation conditions remains rare. This study develops an interpretable machine learning (ML) framework to investigate the aerodynamic pressure and dynamic behaviors of noise barriers based on a nine-month long-term field monitoring campaign, yielding 12810 train runs over 105 valid days. Input variables include train type, speed, temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and air pressure, while the target responses cover train-induced aerodynamic pressure, stress near the base of the steel post, and displacement at the post top. Eight ML models, including four traditional and four ensemble algorithms, were used and systematically compared to evaluate their predictive capabilities and robustness. Ensemble models, particularly Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), achieved the best predictive performance, with R2 values exceeding 0.935 for stress and displacement, and 0.895 for pressure. XGBoost, offering a strong balance of predictive accuracy and computational efficiency, was selected for SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)-based interpretability analysis to uncover the physical relationships behind the data-driven predictions. Results reveal that aerodynamic pressure was the most challenging response to predict, given its higher sensitivity to turbulent airflow and environmental fluctuations, whereas stress and displacement exhibited more stable and predictable patterns. SHAP analysis identified train speed and type as the most influential factors across all responses. While environmental factors had comparatively lower influence, temperature and instantaneous wind direction consistently showed higher importance among them. Relative humidity has a moderate effect on aerodynamic pressure but a minor impact on dynamic behavior. Air pressure and wind speed exhibit limited influence on all outputs. These findings highlight the novelty and effectiveness of integrating long-term monitoring data, ML methods, and SHAP-based interpretability, offering new insights into the dynamic behavior of railway noise barriers.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 348, article id 121812
Keywords [en]
Aerodynamic pressure, Dynamic behavior, Environmental influence, Long-term field monitoring, Machine learning, Railway noise barrier, SHAP analysis
National Category
Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-377436DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121812ISI: 001630301600007Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105030281182OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-377436DiVA, id: diva2:2042270
Note

QC 20260227

Available from: 2026-02-27 Created: 2026-02-27 Last updated: 2026-03-05Bibliographically approved

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Andersson, Andreas

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