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Structural deformation monitoring and service reliability analysis for slab track in plateau areas

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Abstract

How to effectively monitor the structural condition of slab track and determine its service reliability is a key problem to be solved in the development of high-speed rail (HSR) lines in plateau areas, due to the influence of extreme climate, such as low air pressure, dryness and large temperature difference. To this end, this paper first develops an online displacement monitoring system for double-block slab track. Considering the actual operation condition of the HSR line, this system uses the non-contact vision sensing technique to measure the slab displacement. The slab temperature is also measured synchronously by the system. Then, the relationship between atmospheric temperature and the displacement of the slab track is discussed. The monitoring data are grouped according to three temperature states when being collected: stable temperature, rapid temperature rise, and rapid temperature drop. Finally, the serviceability limit state (SLS) equation of slab track is established and the service reliability of slab track under three temperature conditions is calculated using Monte Carlo method. The results show that track slab deformation is highly sensitive to temperature change and can significantly affect the service reliability of the slab track; compared with the period of “stable temperature”, when the temperature rises rapidly, the reliability index of the slab track decreases from 4.48 to 3.92 and the corresponding failure possibility increases around 12 times. This research can provide data support and theoretical basis for intelligent health management of the HSR slab track in the plateau area.

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Abbreviations

α :

Thermal expansion deformation coefficient of concrete

A :

Cross-sectional area of track slab

β :

Reliability index

ΔT :

Overall temperature change of track slab in six hours

αT 1 :

Overall temperature rise

αT 2 :

Overall temperature drop

αT a :

Six-hour atmospheric temperature change

αT g :

Six-hour temperature gradient change of track slab

δ :

Relative displacement between track slabs

δ 1 :

Expansion deformation at slab end

α 2 :

Shrinkage deformation at slab end

E :

Elastic modulus of concrete

L S1 :

The length of warping deformation zone

L h1 :

The length of slip section at the interface between the track slab and supporting layer

h :

Thickness of the track slab

ρ :

Density of concrete

P f :

Failure possibility

T g1 :

Positive temperature gradient

T g2 :

Negative temperature gradient

γ :

Friction coefficient between the track slab and supporting layer

S :

Relative displacement change of track slab

W :

Cross-section modulus of the track slab

Z :

Limit state function value

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Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the funding support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 52178430 and 52208441), General project of the stability support plan for Shenzhen colleges and universities (Grant No. 202207191155 45001), and Natural Science Foundation of Top Talent of SZTU (Grants No. GDRC202128).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Urban Transportation and Logistics, Shenzhen Technology University, 3002 Lantian Road, Pingshan, Shenzhen, 518118, China

    Xiao-Zhou Liu

  2. School of Urban Rail Transportation, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Zai-Wei Li, Hong-Yao Lu & Yue-Lei He

Authors
  1. Xiao-Zhou Liu
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Correspondence to Zai-Wei Li.

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Xiao-Zhou Liu received the B.Eng. in Transportation Engineering and Master’s in Railway Engineering from Tongji University, Shanghai, China, in 2010 and 2013, respectively, and the Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, in 2018. He is currently an Associate Professor in the College of Urban Transportation and Logistics, Shenzhen Technology University. His research interests include structural health monitoring, damage detection, track dynamics, rail track structure and railway vehicle engineering.

Zai-Wei Li received the B.S. in Civil Engineering from Central South University, Changsha, China, in 2006 and the Ph.D. in Railway Engineering from Tongji University, Shanghai, China, in 2012. Since 2022, he has been a Professor of the Railway Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China. His research interest includes the railway track maintenance and management, railway track dynamics.

Yue-Lei He received the B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Lanzhou Jiaotong University, China, in 2001 and the Ph.D. in Railway Engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China, in 2005. Since 2012, he has been a Professor of Railway Engineering, and the Vice-Dean of School of Urban Rail Transportation. His research interests include the control theory of the service state of the ballastless track structure of high-speed railway and the technique in railway track maintenance and management.

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Liu, XZ., Li, ZW., Lu, HY. et al. Structural deformation monitoring and service reliability analysis for slab track in plateau areas. J Mech Sci Technol 37, 4413–4424 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-023-0801-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-023-0801-2

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