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Relationships Between Abrasion Index and Shape Properties of Progressively Abraded Dolerite Railway Ballasts

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering volume 47, pages 1335–1344 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Sub-angular-shaped aggregates are used as rail foundation ballasts and must remain sub-angular during their service life time to maintain particle–particle interlocking, in order to ensure the stability of the rail line and prevent accidents by derailment. Here, the screening of dolerite quarry aggregates for use as railway foundation ballasts was investigated by employing simple digital image and chart methods. The average particle size (d 50), flakiness index (FI), Los Angeles abrasion index (LAAI), sphericity (SPH) and roundness (RND) were determined for two batches of dolerite ballasts from the Rooikraal quarry in Johannesburg and Ngagane quarry in Newcastle. Thirty samples from each of the two batches of ballast were analysed. The ballasts were progressively abraded using a Los Angeles abrasion device and were analysed after each cycle of abrasion. A decrease in d 50 and an increase in FI with increased number of abrasion cycles were observed for both batches of dolerite ballast. The difference in the chart and digital image values of RND and SPH were marginal before abrasion; however, these differences increased with each abrasion cycle. The LAAI, d 50, mean RND and mean SPH correlated significantly and were found to have high regression coefficients. Thus, statistical models are proposed for the non-destructive routine screening of in-place ballasts in order to track marginal changes in aggregate shapes, facilitate ballast replacement programmes and avoid rail line instability.

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Acknowledgments

The first draft of this document was edited with an online editor. The subsequent drafts of this document were edited by my colleague, Mr. Walter Wallace, the senior academic administrator at the Department of Civil Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg. The author is very grateful.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa

    F. N. Okonta

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  1. F. N. Okonta
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Correspondence to F. N. Okonta.

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Okonta, F.N. Relationships Between Abrasion Index and Shape Properties of Progressively Abraded Dolerite Railway Ballasts. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47, 1335–1344 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0474-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0474-8

Keywords

  • Railway ballasts
  • Sphericity
  • Roundness
  • Los Angeles abrasion Index
  • Flakiness index