Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test
It has recently been reported that under sleeper pads (USPs) could improve ballasted rail track by decreasing the sleeper settlement and reducing particle breakage. In order to find out what happens at the particle-pad interface, discrete element modelling (DEM) is used to provide micro mechanical i...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer Verlag
2018
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50316/ |
| _version_ | 1848798217838264320 |
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| author | Li, Huiqi McDowell, Glenn R. |
| author_facet | Li, Huiqi McDowell, Glenn R. |
| author_sort | Li, Huiqi |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | It has recently been reported that under sleeper pads (USPs) could improve ballasted rail track by decreasing the sleeper settlement and reducing particle breakage. In order to find out what happens at the particle-pad interface, discrete element modelling (DEM) is used to provide micro mechanical insight. The same positive effects of USP are found in the DEM simulations. The evidence provided by DEM shows that application of a USP allows more particles to be in contact with the pad, and causes these particles to transfer a larger lateral load to the adjacent ballast but a smaller vertical load beneath the sleeper. This could be used to explain why the USP helps to reduce the track settlement. In terms of particle breakage, it is found that most breakage occurs at the particle-sleeper interface and along the main contact force chains between particles under the sleeper. The use of USPs could effectively reduce particle abrasion that occurs in both of these regions. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:16:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-50316 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:16:16Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Springer Verlag |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-503162020-05-04T19:39:09Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50316/ Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test Li, Huiqi McDowell, Glenn R. It has recently been reported that under sleeper pads (USPs) could improve ballasted rail track by decreasing the sleeper settlement and reducing particle breakage. In order to find out what happens at the particle-pad interface, discrete element modelling (DEM) is used to provide micro mechanical insight. The same positive effects of USP are found in the DEM simulations. The evidence provided by DEM shows that application of a USP allows more particles to be in contact with the pad, and causes these particles to transfer a larger lateral load to the adjacent ballast but a smaller vertical load beneath the sleeper. This could be used to explain why the USP helps to reduce the track settlement. In terms of particle breakage, it is found that most breakage occurs at the particle-sleeper interface and along the main contact force chains between particles under the sleeper. The use of USPs could effectively reduce particle abrasion that occurs in both of these regions. Springer Verlag 2018-05-31 Article PeerReviewed Li, Huiqi and McDowell, Glenn R. (2018) Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test. Granular Matter, 20 (2). 26/1-26/26. ISSN 1434-7636 DEM; Railway ballast; Under sleeper pad https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10035-018-0795-0 doi:10.1007/s10035-018-0795-0 doi:10.1007/s10035-018-0795-0 |
| spellingShingle | DEM; Railway ballast; Under sleeper pad Li, Huiqi McDowell, Glenn R. Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| title | Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| title_full | Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| title_fullStr | Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| title_full_unstemmed | Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| title_short | Discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| title_sort | discreet element modeling of under sleeper pads using a box test |
| topic | DEM; Railway ballast; Under sleeper pad |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50316/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50316/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50316/ |