Wind loads on flat plates and porous screens installed on the track surface during the passage of high-speed trains

Field measurements of wind pressure fluctuations during high-speed train passages were conducted by horizontally installing several flat plates above sleepers on a straight section of ballasted track. Wind pressure sensors were attached to the top and bottom surfaces of these plates to capture vertical wind pressure fluctuations. The primary objectives of this study are to investigate the nature of fluctuating wind pressure on flat plates during high-speed train passages, to estimate the wind loads acting on flat plates and porous screens on the track surface, and to evaluate their susceptibility to being lifted by wind loads. The results reveal that the differential pressure, which is the primary contributor to wind loads on the flat plates, is driven by the turbulent flow beneath the middle section of the train. Additionally, wind pressure data were used to estimate the wind loads (lift forces) acting on the flat plates and porous screens due to the turbulent flow, and to calculate the fixation loads required to prevent lifting.