Abstract:The ground vibrations induced by railway train operations significantly impact architectural sites adjacent to railways. To investigate the vibration response at different heights of rammed earth sites under train load excitation and the influence of factors such as train type, speed, and formation, this study focused on the walls of Xiaguanying Ancient City as a case study. In-situ monitoring and geological surveys were conducted under multiple operational conditions. The vibration responses caused by train operation next to the city wall were analyzed from time domain, frequency domain, and other aspects, compared with existing standards to determine the vibration intensity and its impact on the city wall. The results showed that the peak and effective values of vibration velocity caused by the train decreased in a fluctuating manner as the wall height increased. The vibration response caused by freight trains was greater than that caused by passenger trains. Vibration velocity amplification was observed in the central region of the wall, where the maximum vibration values were reached. The vibration velocity of the wall was proportional to train speed, formation, and load. The dominant vibration frequency at all measurement points ranged from 40 to 70 Hz. The frequency amplification effect was significant in the central region of the wall, and the vibration amplification area was influenced by train speed and formation length. The Z-vibration level attenuation characteristics of the wall followed the same pattern as the speed response, with the maximum Z-vibration level being 80.29 dB for freight trains and 76.65 dB for passenger trains. Compared to vibration frequencies above 40 Hz, vibration frequencies between 10 and 40 Hz attenuated more slowly, causing more damage to the wall. Based on existing vibration standards and the basic properties of earth sites, train operation impacts the walls of Xiaguanying Ancient City. The research results provide valuable insights into protective measures for similar earthen heritage sites.