Load distribution within railway ballast: A DEM study considering realistic particle shapes

Angelidakis V, Utili S, Sarhosis V (2019)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Abstract of lecture

Publication year: 2019

Event location: Heraklion, Crete GR

URI: https://2019.compdyn.org/files/uploads/general/compdyn_2019_programme_online.pdf

Abstract

Railroad constitutes a significant part of the linear transportation infrastructure worldwide, with the majority of regular train tracks lying on ballast layers. To date, ballast is the least understood element of a rail track and its contribution is considered by the engineering practice in a qualitative and conservative manner. In this study, new insights are sought concerning the load distribution within a ballast layer, through numerical analyses. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is employed, in which every grain can be modelled separately, so that the kinematic conditions present inside a granular assembly are captured adequately through particle to particle interactions. In the simulations performed, a sleeper is placed on a ballast layer. Ballast is modelled using polyhedral particles, with shapes based on real grains, so that particle to particle interactions are approximated in a realistic manner. The model is constructed as a 3D slice of a standard ballasted cross section, bound by periodic boundaries to the longitudinal direction of the rail line, so that plain-strain conditions are achieved, while the full kinematic aspects of the three-dimensional response are not suppressed. The mechanical characterisation of the material is derived through calibration to available drained triaxial tests on ballast specimens. The DEM results are compared with the load distribution regime considered in the British Standards and the level of conservativeness of the latter is now assessed in a quantified manner.

Authors with CRIS profile

Vasileios Angelidakis Lehrstuhl für Multiscale Simulation of Particulate Systems

Involved external institutions

Newcastle University GB United Kingdom (GB) University of Leeds GB United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Angelidakis, V., Utili, S., & Sarhosis, V. (2019). Load distribution within railway ballast: A DEM study considering realistic particle shapes. Paper presentation at COMPDYN 2019: 7th International Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Heraklion, Crete, GR.

MLA:

Angelidakis, Vasileios, Stefano Utili, and Vasilis Sarhosis. "Load distribution within railway ballast: A DEM study considering realistic particle shapes." Presented at COMPDYN 2019: 7th International Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Heraklion, Crete 2019.

BibTeX: Download