The Use of the Hilbert Huang Transformation in the Testing of Railway Structures

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to introduce a less used method for the evaluation of non-stationary and especially transient phenomena in railway structures to the wider professional public. This method may find wide application in many technical and other fields. It is the so-called Hilbert-Huang transform. In this paper, its application in the study of dynamic phenomena occurring in a selected superstructure structure is shown. The calculation procedure of the presented transform differs from traditional tools, which include, for example, the short-term Fourier transform or the Wavelet transform. The paper includes a mathematical analysis and description of this transformation. Furthermore, the paper contains a description of the measurement method used, a discussion of the results obtained and recommendations for practice.