Case Study
State-of-the-art Noise Reduction
for Riyadh Metro

Protection of structures

Better quality of life andworking conditions

Long term performance andcharacteristics

Highly efficient noise andvibration mitigation

Project Description
The Riyadh Metro rail network
embodies the backbone of thepublic transportation system.
The network connects publicfacilities with local residents andcommuters as well as educational,
commercial and medicalinstitutions. It is connected toKing Khalid International Airport,
King Abdullah Financial District,main universities, downtown andthe public transport center.
Due to previous referencesin the region, as well as thevery good relationship toconsultants and contractors,Getzner was commissioned in2016 for its excellent products
and solutions to protect people
living close to railway lines
against vibrations and noise.
he Riyadh Metro Project is thebiggest metro project in GCC(Gulf Cooperation Council) and is executed by the Riyadh Development
Authority (RDA) in Saudi Arabia. The
project involves the construction of a
metro rail network across various locations in Riyadh. The metro has six
main routes covering a total lengthof approximately 177 km with 85 stations in total, including underground,ground level and elevated stations.
More than 73 km of the metro in
the capital is underground, which isabout 40 percent of the total length.

TTwice as much urban traffic
expected by 2030

has led to severe traffic congestion,
especially during peak hours.

The metro project is part of
Riyadh’s Public Transport Project(RPTP) plan that was approved by
the Council of Ministers in 2012.
The project is also known as 'King
Abdulaziz Public Transportation
Project'. The current daily traffic
demand is 7.4 million traffic trips,
whereof almost 90 percent is met
by private automobiles. The daily
demand is expected to exceed
12 million traffic trips by the year
2030. This huge increase in traffic
linked with high dependence on cars

A sophisticated public
transportation system

Advantages— Highly effective protection
against vibrations andstructure-borne noise— Cost-optimised solutions
achieved by selecting
project-specific materials— Improved quality of life
and working conditions
for residents— Minimisation of loads
on the rail seat
— Smoothing of rail deflection— Quick and simple
installation— Increased safety andtravelling comfort

In order to meet the growing
challenge of rapid urban growth, asustainable public transportation
system was carried out as acornerstone with the aim of reducing
automobile dependence andsignificantly improving the service
level of the transportation system.
To guarantee the high standard andavailability as well as longer service
life for the six metro lines, Getzner

Tunnel ready for installtion

Baseplate pads for VAE turnouts

provides appropriate products andsolutions to minimise downtime,
to reduce maintenance costs andto increase lifetime. Furthermore,these measures effectively reduce
vibrations and noise in urban areasthat are caused by metro traffic
and protect track structures andrail vehicles enabling smooth metro
operation.

strip bearing system including shear
keys isolation and filler material
serving as lost formwork.
Mass-spring systems are used inapplications with extremely stringent
requirements for protection against
vibration and structure-borne noise.
These demanding vibration andacoustic isolation requirements
are successfully met by Getzner
solutions.

The Getzner solution

Baseplate pads for elasticity in thetrack

Elastic components against
disruptive vibrationsor the Riyadh Metro Project
5 dB insertion loss was to beachieved in the first section. In theother section, a natural frequencyof 8.4 Hz was desired. Getzner
tailored a dedicated solution forthe different Riyadh Metro tracklines varying between full surface
and strip bearing isolation for
the viaduct, at-grade, tunnel
sections, as well as 12 elevatedstations (Stations Mezzanine).

F

Better quality of life and working
conditions
Two types of mass-spring systems
were implemented due to thedifferent requirements at eachsection. The first system consisted offull surface single type of vibration
mitigation material with side mats.
The second solution considered aTurnouts are critical components
of any railway track. The Riyadh
metro lines were equipped with heattreated premium rails, turnout andsignaling technology. To reduce thehigh levels of wear on the turnouts
and the other superstructurecomponents, Getzner baseplate pads
for over 320 turnouts were installed
in different sections of the six metrolines. Elastic baseplate pads maintainthe load-distribution qualities of therail and reduce vibrations caused byirregularities in the wheels and track.
By properly distributing the stiffnessof the baseplate, it is also possible
to adjust the level of rail deflection
caused by the rolling stock.
Floor bearing in coaches toincrease the comfort of the journey
For this project, Getzner has
developed special solutions for themounting of floating floor bearingsand components in order to increase
travelling comfort and reduce life
cycle costs of train carriages.
Impressive use of material
The total quantities for all applications are approximately 95,000 m2
mass-spring systems and 21,000
baseplate pads.
Getzner offered specialized service
and support for this project, suchas technical, commercial and design
support, material supply, installation
supervision on site and installation
training. Furthermore, many special
tests were performed to prove statedcharacteristics of the material. A
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) wasperformed under supervision ofthe customer for every delivery.
The main advantages of the Getzner
solutions are the proven long-term
performance in all environmental
conditions and bespoke systemdesign according to projectrequirements.

Tunnel Line 3

Facts and figures
Track length:
Operator:
Material used:
Opening:
Daily traffic demand:

35 kilometers of mass-spring systems
Riyadh Development Authority (RDA)
95,000 m2 mass-spring systems and 21,000 base plate pads
2021
7.4 million traffic trips

Foundation:
1969 (as a subsidiary of Getzner, Mutter & Cie)
Chief Executive Officer: Ing. Jürgen Rainalter
Employees:
490 (360 in Bürs)
2017 turnover:
EUR 100.3 million
Business areas:
Railway, construction, industry
Headquarters:
Bürs (AT)
Locations:
Berlin (DE), Munich (DE), Stuttgart (DE), Lyon (FR),Amman (JO), Tokyo (JP), Pune (IN), Beijing (CN),Kunshan (CN), Charlotte (US), Decatur (US)
Ratio of exports:
93 %Photo credits: Getzner Werkstoffe

AUSTRIA — Bürs GERMANY — Berlin — Munich — Stuttgart FRANCE — Lyon
JAPAN — Tokyo INDIA — Pune CHINA — Beijing USA — Charlotte

JORDAN — Amman
www.getzner.com

CS Riyadh Metro en © Copyright by Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH | 07-2019

Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH