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Discrete element method analysis of lateral resistance of fouled ballast bed

  • Geological, Civil, Energy and Traffic Engineering
  • Published:
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Abstract

The lateral resistance of sleeper plays an important role in ensuring the stability of a railway track, which may change in the operation of railway, due to the fouling in the ballast bed. In this work, discrete element method was adopted to investigate the effect of fouling on the lateral resistance of sleeper. The shape information of ballast was captured by method of three-dimensional vision reconstruction. In order to calibrate the mechanical parameters and verify the models, a lateral resistance field test was carried out by using a custom-made device. The contact force distributions in the different parts of sleeper as well as the interaction between ballast and sleeper were discussed in depth. The results show that fouling of ballast bed evidently reduces the lateral resistance of sleeper and the decreasing degree is also related to the fouled position of ballast bed, in the order of shoulder > bottom > side. Therefore, the effect of fouling, especially the fouling in the ballast shoulder, on the lateral resistance of sleeper, should be taken into account in ballast track maintenance work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China

    Yang Xu  (徐旸), Liang Gao  (高亮), Yan-rong Zhang  (张艳荣) & Xiao-pei Cai  (蔡小培)

  2. Key Laboratory of Rail Track Engineering of Beijing, Beijing, 100044, China

    Yang Xu  (徐旸), Liang Gao  (高亮), Yan-rong Zhang  (张艳荣) & Xiao-pei Cai  (蔡小培)

  3. State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, Beijing, 100044, China

    Yang Xu  (徐旸), Liang Gao  (高亮), Yan-rong Zhang  (张艳荣) & Xiao-pei Cai  (蔡小培)

  4. School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China

    Hui Yin  (尹辉)

Authors
  1. Yang Xu  (徐旸)
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  2. Liang Gao  (高亮)
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  3. Yan-rong Zhang  (张艳荣)
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  4. Hui Yin  (尹辉)
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  5. Xiao-pei Cai  (蔡小培)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liang Gao  (高亮).

Additional information

Foundation item: Projects(U1234211, 61472029, 51208034) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

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Xu, Y., Gao, L., Zhang, Yr. et al. Discrete element method analysis of lateral resistance of fouled ballast bed. J. Cent. South Univ. 23, 2373–2381 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-016-3296-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-016-3296-5

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