Design of Wind-Break Fences for Railway Applications

The train overturning risk associated to strong crosswinds can be reduced by putting wind break fences along the line. This paper proposes a procedure to determine the loads acting on the barriers, starting from CFD analysis, experimental wind tunnel tests and standards requirements. In particular, two external action on the fences are considered: the pressure loads induced by the passage of the train and the loads due to the natural wind. Static and dynamic loads have been analyzed. Through the definition of extreme events both static and fatigue verification have been carried out on the structure.