The Use of Under Sleeper Pads to Improve the Performance of Rail Tracks

Jayasuriya, C; Indraratna, B; Ferreira, FB

The Use of Under Sleeper Pads to Improve the Performance of Rail Tracks

Jayasuriya, C Indraratna, B

Ferreira, FB

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Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Indian Geotechnical Journal, 2020, 50, (2), pp. 204-212
Issue Date:: 2020-04-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Jayasuriya, C
dc.contributor.author	Indraratna, B https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9057-1514
dc.contributor.author	Ferreira, FB
dc.date.accessioned	2021-03-02T22:38:47Z
dc.date.available	2021-03-02T22:38:47Z
dc.date.issued	2020-04-01
dc.identifier.citation	Indian Geotechnical Journal, 2020, 50, (2), pp. 204-212
dc.identifier.issn	0971-9555
dc.identifier.issn	2277-3347
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/146658
dc.description.abstract	© 2020, Indian Geotechnical Society. In recent years, with the growing demand for both passenger and freight mobility, faster and heavier rail traffic has been the norm rather than the exception in many countries. As a result, track geometry and the safety of ballasted rail tracks have been adversely affected, leading to exacerbated maintenance costs. Increased stresses in granular foundation induce progressive track degradation, which can result in excessive vertical and lateral deformation, ballast and subballast fouling and impeded drainage. These effects tend to be more severe at specific locations, such as bridges, level crossings and tunnels (i.e. over stiff subgrade). Finding an economical strategy to mitigate ballast degradation has been a challenging task for practitioners, and the inclusion of energy-absorbing rubber pads underneath the sleepers (under sleeper pads—USPs) to minimise track damage is an attractive solution. This paper presents a laboratory study conducted at the University of Wollongong to investigate the use of USPs as resilient elements in ballasted rail tracks involving a stiff subgrade. Test results have shown a significant improvement in track performance resulting from the use of USPs, whereby it is demonstrated that ballast damage induced by the applied cyclic loads can be reduced due to the favourable damping characteristics of these rubber pads. A significant attenuation in particle breakage was observed along with a reduction in both the vertical settlement and lateral movement of the ballast layer, thereby suggesting that USPs can be an effective means of improving the stability and serviceability of the track system.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/IC170100006
dc.relation.ispartof	Indian Geotechnical Journal
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s40098-020-00418-2
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0905 Civil Engineering
dc.title	The Use of Under Sleeper Pads to Improve the Performance of Rail Tracks
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	50
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-03-02T22:38:45Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	50
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

© 2020, Indian Geotechnical Society. In recent years, with the growing demand for both passenger and freight mobility, faster and heavier rail traffic has been the norm rather than the exception in many countries. As a result, track geometry and the safety of ballasted rail tracks have been adversely affected, leading to exacerbated maintenance costs. Increased stresses in granular foundation induce progressive track degradation, which can result in excessive vertical and lateral deformation, ballast and subballast fouling and impeded drainage. These effects tend to be more severe at specific locations, such as bridges, level crossings and tunnels (i.e. over stiff subgrade). Finding an economical strategy to mitigate ballast degradation has been a challenging task for practitioners, and the inclusion of energy-absorbing rubber pads underneath the sleepers (under sleeper pads—USPs) to minimise track damage is an attractive solution. This paper presents a laboratory study conducted at the University of Wollongong to investigate the use of USPs as resilient elements in ballasted rail tracks involving a stiff subgrade. Test results have shown a significant improvement in track performance resulting from the use of USPs, whereby it is demonstrated that ballast damage induced by the applied cyclic loads can be reduced due to the favourable damping characteristics of these rubber pads. A significant attenuation in particle breakage was observed along with a reduction in both the vertical settlement and lateral movement of the ballast layer, thereby suggesting that USPs can be an effective means of improving the stability and serviceability of the track system.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/146658