The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast
In order to study the influence of an unsupported sleeper on the vertical bearing characteristics of heavy-haul railway ballast, a three-dimensional discrete element model (DEM) was established for a ballasted track, by removing ballast particles that come into contact with the bottom of the sleeper...
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/6/1434 |
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| author | Dan Liu Chengguang Su Dawei Zhang Caihao Lan |
| author_facet | Dan Liu Chengguang Su Dawei Zhang Caihao Lan |
| author_sort | Dan Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In order to study the influence of an unsupported sleeper on the vertical bearing characteristics of heavy-haul railway ballast, a three-dimensional discrete element model (DEM) was established for a ballasted track, by removing ballast particles that come into contact with the bottom of the sleeper from the model to simulate the unsupported sleeper. Vertical bearing characteristics for ballast on different types of unsupported sleepers were studied. The results showed that an unsupported sleeper could reduce the bearing area of the ballast below the sleeper and reduce the number of ballast particles that were in contact. It could also lead to an increase in the maximum contact force between the particles, accelerating the deterioration of the particles (thus affecting the overall performance of the ballast) and reducing the vertical stiffness of the ballast. As the unsupported length and width increased, vertical stiffness gradually decreased. The vertical ballast stiffness for an unsupported sleeper was then used in a dynamic coupled vehicle/track model, and the effect of the unsupported sleeper on wheel/rail interaction was analyzed. Results showed that increasing the unsupported length and width leads to a decrease in the supporting force on the unsupported sleeper and to an increase in the supporting force on the adjacent sleepers. |
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| id | doaj.art-b8866657589e4bd6b2f458840269a4d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:02:57Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
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| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8866657589e4bd6b2f458840269a4d32024-03-27T13:52:50ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442024-03-01176143410.3390/ma17061434The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway BallastDan Liu0Chengguang Su1Dawei Zhang2Caihao Lan3School of Highway, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, ChinaChina Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710043, ChinaSchool of Automobile, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, ChinaMOE Key Laboratory of High-Speed Railway Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, ChinaIn order to study the influence of an unsupported sleeper on the vertical bearing characteristics of heavy-haul railway ballast, a three-dimensional discrete element model (DEM) was established for a ballasted track, by removing ballast particles that come into contact with the bottom of the sleeper from the model to simulate the unsupported sleeper. Vertical bearing characteristics for ballast on different types of unsupported sleepers were studied. The results showed that an unsupported sleeper could reduce the bearing area of the ballast below the sleeper and reduce the number of ballast particles that were in contact. It could also lead to an increase in the maximum contact force between the particles, accelerating the deterioration of the particles (thus affecting the overall performance of the ballast) and reducing the vertical stiffness of the ballast. As the unsupported length and width increased, vertical stiffness gradually decreased. The vertical ballast stiffness for an unsupported sleeper was then used in a dynamic coupled vehicle/track model, and the effect of the unsupported sleeper on wheel/rail interaction was analyzed. Results showed that increasing the unsupported length and width leads to a decrease in the supporting force on the unsupported sleeper and to an increase in the supporting force on the adjacent sleepers.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/6/1434ballastunsupported sleeperdiscrete element methodvertical bearing characteristicswheel/rail interaction |
| spellingShingle | Dan Liu Chengguang Su Dawei Zhang Caihao Lan The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast Materials ballast unsupported sleeper discrete element method vertical bearing characteristics wheel/rail interaction |
| title | The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast |
| title_full | The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast |
| title_short | The Influence of an Unsupported Sleeper on the Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Heavy-Haul Railway Ballast |
| title_sort | influence of an unsupported sleeper on the vertical bearing characteristics of heavy haul railway ballast |
| topic | ballast unsupported sleeper discrete element method vertical bearing characteristics wheel/rail interaction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/6/1434 |
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