Dynamic Behaviours of Geocell Reinforced Ballasted Railway Track Subjected to Train Moving Loads

Md. Abu Sayeed, Saleh Ahmad · 10.63414/paper25

Abstract

The railway network plays a very important role among different modes of public transportation in terms of safety, carrying capacity, speed and cost. In the railway track-ground system, the train moving loads generate large vibrations, especially when the track built on soft subgrade, which increases the risk of track damages and train derailment. In order to increase track support capacity and thereby decrease the track operation and maintenance costs, track stabilization can be an important option. To stabilize the ballasted railway track, geocell reinforcement may be placed inside or below the ballast or subballast layers. In the current paper, a classy three-dimensional finite element model of ballasted railway track is developed to investigate the dynamic track-ground response subjected to train moving loads. The track dynamic responses in terms of time history track vertical displacement and ground displacement for various track-ground conditions are presented and compared the performance of geocell reinforced ballasted railway track with the unreinforced section. The outcomes of this study are explored and discussed.

Conclusion

In this paper, dynamic behaviours of geocell reinforced ballasted railway track subjected to train moving loads are investigated using a classy three-dimensional finite elements modelling. A parametric study is performed by varying stiffness of geocell, ballast modulus, subgrade modulus and train speed. By comparing the track performance of the ballasted railway track with and without geocell confinement, the importance of geocell is investigated. The conclusions drawn from this study are as follows: Due to the geocell confinement, the stiffness of ballasted embankment increases, and consequently it reduces the track deflection. The track deflection decreases with the increase of geocell stiffness. The geocell confinement can improve the track performance significantly, especially where the stiffness of ballast is very low. However, the geocell confinement cannot significantly improve the performance of the ballasted railway track while it is founded on soft subgrade. Geocell reinforcement does not have effect on critical speed of a railway track-ground system, although it reduces the track deflection in each speed. Geocell reinforcement in the ballasted layer can reduce the vibration in the track as well as in the nearby structures. About JEAS Journal of Engineering and Applied Science (JEAS) is a journal related to the field of Engineering and Applied Science. It is a peer-reviewed, and archival journal providin... Read More Important Links

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