Railway condition estimation
Physics-informed estimation of track geometry and support stiffness from vehicle- and track-side vibration measurements.
Vehicle–track dynamics · Kalman filtering · model updatingPhD Researcher · University of Groningen
Xiaodong Han
韩笑东
Open to academic & industrial opportunities
Railway Engineering · Structural Health Monitoring · Predictive Maintenance
My research links railway dynamics, field measurements and inverse modelling. The aim is to obtain interpretable evidence of track condition from vibration and sensing data.
Peer-reviewed outputs14Dynamics, sensing and track-component mechanics
Research streams3Condition estimation, multimodal sensing and full-scale validation
Railway patents2Turnout-sleeper strengthening and monitoring
Research
Research areas
The work spans system-level condition estimation, field sensing and component-scale validation.
Multimodal sensing
Axle-box acceleration, ground-penetrating radar and auxiliary inspection data are combined to examine local track condition.
ABA · GPR · time–frequency analysis · sensor fusionTrack component mechanics
Full-scale experiments and numerical models assess sleeper and ballasted-track response under static and dynamic loading.
Full-scale testing · FEM · DEM · modal analysisAcademic and industrial relevance
Academic work
Vehicle–track dynamics, inverse identification and multimodal structural health monitoring.
- Physics-informed condition estimation
- Field measurement and model validation
- Uncertainty-aware interpretation
Engineering application
Measurement and modelling workflows for interpretable railway diagnostics and maintenance assessment.
- Onboard and trackside monitoring
- FE, MBD and discrete-element modelling
- Experimental testing and signal analysis
Publications
Publications
Fourteen peer-reviewed outputs spanning railway condition estimation, vibration measurement and track-component mechanics. Preprints are listed separately and are not double-counted.
Research highlights
Selected figures connect the method, experiment and measured response behind the publication record.
Engineering Structures · 2026
Joint condition estimation
A dual-filter architecture couples track-geometry estimation with resonance-based support-stiffness updating.
Construction and Building Materials · 2025
Full-scale UHPC track testing
A five-sleeper UHPC track panel was instrumented for wheelset-drop testing and vibration-energy assessment.
Sensors · 2024 · CC BY
Camera-based vibration measurement
CoTracker extracts full-field edge motion from high-speed video before DMD-based modal identification.
Construction and Building Materials · 2022
Steel turnout-sleeper mechanics
Instrumented full-scale loading links turnout-sleeper deformation to measured lateral resistance.
Peer-reviewed publications
14 outputs2026View paper ↗2025View paper ↗2025View paper ↗2025View paper ↗2025View paper ↗2025View paper ↗2024View paper ↗2024View paper ↗2023View paper ↗2023View paper ↗2022View paper ↗2022View paper ↗2022View paper ↗2021View paper ↗
Joint estimation of railway ballasted track irregularities and stiffness using a dual Kalman filter strategy and dynamic vehicle–track model
Experimental analysis on mechanical behaviour of ultra-high-performance concrete sleepers
Time–frequency analysis of axle-box accelerations in railway systems: experimental insights on ballasted tracks and a bridge transition zone
A model updating framework for railway ballasted track stiffness irregularity interference based on a 2D dynamic train–track MDOF model
Experimental analysis on non-prestressed steel fibre-reinforced concrete sleepers
Experimental and numerical investigation of self-sensing smart concrete railway sleepers with a hanging-sleeper defect
Camera-based dynamic vibration analysis using transformer-based CoTracker and dynamic mode decomposition
Improving the mechanical performance of railway concrete sleepers using recycled materials: an experimental and numerical study
Development and performance evaluation of self-healing concrete railway sleepers using different-size PU tubes
Railway ballast-track hanging-sleeper defect detection using a smart CNT self-sensing concrete railway sleeper
Experimental and finite-element assessment of the fastening system of fibre-reinforced foamed urethane composite sleepers
Experimental and numerical analysis on mechanical behaviour of a steel turnout sleeper
Improving the mechanical performance of timber railway sleepers with carbon-fabric reinforcement: an experimental and numerical study
Experimental study on the eccentric-compression behaviour of hybrid-strengthened square timber columns
Preprints and manuscripts
Published versions replace duplicate preprints in the peer-reviewed count.
20262025
Preprint
↗2025Trackside-measurement-based railway track irregularity estimation using a vehicle–track model and extended Kalman filtering
SSRN
Preprint
↗Experimental and numerical analysis of the mechanical performance of GFRP-reinforced timber sleepers
SSRN
Under review
Smart sensing rail: solutions, applications and challenges for railway condition monitoring
Proceedings of the IMechE, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit
Patents
Two railway turnout-sleeper utility inventions.
Lateral-resistance strengthening structure for steel turnout sleepers
Steel turnout-sleeper cover plate with an integrated monitoring function
Current work
Ongoing research
Rail corrugation diagnosis
Axle-box acceleration and GPR for examining the association between rail response and trackbed condition.
Trackbed assessment
Multimodal GPR features and auxiliary inspection data for evaluating structural layers and defects.
Trackside inverse estimation
Vehicle–track models and Kalman filtering for condition estimation from trackside measurements.
These projects are in progress. Their outputs are treated as diagnostic evidence until independently validated.
Experience
Experience
Education
PhD, Non-Destructive Testing & Structural Health Monitoring
University of Groningen
MEng, Railway Engineering
Beijing Jiaotong University
BEng, Civil Engineering (Urban Rail)
Beijing Jiaotong University
Outstanding Master’s Graduate, Beijing Jiaotong University, 2023
Methods and tools
Dynamics
Vehicle–track coupling, system identification, model updating
Sensing
Axle-box acceleration, GPR, strain and acceleration systems
Modelling
ABAQUS, ANSYS, Simpack, RecurDyn, EDEM, Rocky DEM
Testing
Full-scale loading, modal analysis, camera acquisition
Academic service
Journal peer review
Verified peer-review contributions recorded publicly on ORCID.
Verify on ORCID ↗Contact
Research collaboration and engineering R&D
Open to collaboration and research-focused opportunities in railway engineering, structural health monitoring and predictive maintenance.