Efficient mechanical evaluation of railway earthworks using a towed seismic array and Bayesian inference of MASW data

Abstract

Assessing Railway Earthworks (RE) requires non-destructive and time-efficient diagnostic tools. This study evaluates the relevance of shear-wave velocity ($V_s$) profiling using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) for detecting Low Velocity Layers (LVLs) in disturbed RE zones. To enhance time-efficiency, a towed seismic setup (Landstreamer) was compared with a conventional one. Once qualified, the Landstreamer was deployed on the ballast for roll-along acquisition, showing greatly improved efficiency and good imaging capability. A probabilistic framework adopted in this study additionally enhances quantification of uncertainties and helps in interpretation of $V_s$ models, facilitating reliable decision-making in infrastructure management.