Behavior of fresh and fouled railway ballast subjected to direct shear testing: discrete element simulation

AbstractThis paper presents the three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) that was used to study the shear behavior of fresh and coal fouled ballast in direct shear testing. The volumetric changes and stress-strain behavior of fresh and fouled ballast were simulated and compared with the experimental results. Clump logic in particle flow code in three dimensions (PFC3D) incorporated in a subroutine was used to simulate irregular-shaped particles in which groups of 10–20 spherical balls were clumped together in appropriate sizes to simulate ballast particles. Fouled ballast with a various void contaminant index (VCI) ranging from 20 to 70% VCI was modeled by injecting a specified number of miniature spherical particles into the voids of fresh ballast. The DEM simulation captures the behavior of fresh and fouled ballast as observed in the laboratory, showing that the peak shear stress of the ballast assembly decreases and the dilation of fouled ballast increases with an increasing VCI. Furthermore, th...

[1]  Catherine O'Sullivan,et al.  Exploring the macro- and micro-scale response of an idealised granular material in the direct shear apparatus , 2006 .

[2]  Farhang Radjai,et al.  Micromechanics of granular materials , 2009 .

[3]  Hong-wei Huang,et al.  Laboratory Characterization of Fouled Railroad Ballast Behavior , 2009 .

[4]  S. Liu,et al.  Simulating a direct shear box test by DEM , 2006 .

[5]  William Powrie,et al.  Effect of Particle Properties on Soil Behavior: 3-D Numerical Modeling of Shearbox Tests , 2000 .

[6]  J. Morris,et al.  Discrete Element Modeling , 2007 .

[7]  Jayan S Vinod,et al.  Numerical simulation of liquefaction and pore pressure generation in granular materials using DEM , 2008 .

[8]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  Behavior of geogrid-reinforced ballast under various levels of fouling , 2011 .

[9]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  Influence of particle breakage on the resilient modulus of railway ballast , 2009 .

[10]  N. Marachi,et al.  Strength and deformation characteristics of rockfill materials , 1969 .

[11]  H. D. Christie,et al.  Shear Behavior of Railway Ballast Based on Large-Scale Triaxial Tests , 1998 .

[12]  B. Indraratna,et al.  Modelling of particle breakage of coarse aggregates incorporating strength and dilatancy , 2002 .

[13]  Marte Gutierrez,et al.  Discrete-continuum analysis of shear banding in the direct shear test , 2007 .

[14]  M. B. Bever,et al.  Gradients in composite materials , 1972 .

[15]  J. A. Charles,et al.  The influence of confining pressure on the shear strength of compacted rockfill , 1980 .

[16]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  Large-scale triaxial testing of greywacke rockfill , 1993 .

[17]  R. J. Marsal,et al.  MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ROCKFILL , 1973 .

[18]  Sanjay Nimbalkar,et al.  The Behaviour of Ballasted Track Foundations: Track Drainage and Geosynthetic Reinforcement , 2010 .

[19]  G. McDowell,et al.  The importance of modelling ballast particle shape in the discrete element method , 2006 .

[20]  C. O’Sullivan.  Particulate Discrete Element Modelling: A Geomechanics Perspective , 2011 .

[21]  Glenn R. McDowell,et al.  Discrete element modelling of railway ballast under triaxial conditions , 2008 .

[22]  Masao Satake,et al.  Mechanics of Granular Materials , 1989 .

[23]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  Laboratory Characterization of Coal Dust Fouled Ballast Behavior , 2008 .

[24]  Ernest T. Selig,et al.  Static and Cyclic Triaxial Testing of Ballast and Subballast , 2005 .

[25]  B. Indraratna,et al.  Experimental and Numerical Study of Railway Ballast Behavior under Cyclic Loading , 2010 .

[26]  G. McDowell,et al.  Discrete element modelling of scaled railway ballast under triaxial conditions , 2008 .

[27]  B. Indraratna,et al.  Effect of confining pressure on ballast degradation and deformation under cyclic triaxial loading , 2007 .

[28]  Glenn R. McDowell,et al.  Discrete element modelling of ballast abrasion , 2006 .

[29]  Yulong Ding,et al.  Critical state behaviour of granular materials using three dimensional discrete element modelling , 2004 .

[30]  H. Konietzky,et al.  Discrete element simulation of ballast and gravel under special consideration of grain-shape, grain-size and relative density , 2011 .

[31]  Frank Feldman,et al.  Alternative Testing Method for the Measurement of Ballast Fouling : Percentage Void Contamination , 2002 .

[32]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  Discrete Element Modeling of Aggregate Behavior in Fouled Railroad Ballast , 2009 .

[33]  Ernest T. Selig,et al.  Track Geotechnology and Substructure Management , 1995 .

[34]  小田 匡寛,et al.  Mechanics of granular materials : an introduction , 1999 .

[35]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  DEM analysis of angular ballast breakage under cyclic loading , 2007 .

[36]  G. McDowell,et al.  Discrete element modelling of railway ballast , 2005 .

[37]  L. Vallejo,et al.  Discrete Element Method Analysis of Railtrack Ballast Degradation during Cyclic Loading , 2006 .

[38]  Colin Thornton,et al.  A numerical examination of the direct shear test , 2007 .

[39]  William F. Anderson,et al.  Behavior of Railroad Ballast under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading , 2008 .

[40]  Glenn R. McDowell,et al.  A simple method to create complex particle shapes for DEM , 2008 .

[41]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  Comparison of coal dust fouled railroad ballast behavior - Granite vs. limestone , 2009 .

[42]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  Effect of confining pressure on the degradation of ballast under cyclic loading , 2005 .

[43]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  Discrete Element Modeling for fouled railroad ballast , 2011 .

[44]  Catherine O'Sullivan,et al.  DISCRETE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSE OF GRANULAR MATERIALS DURING CYCLIC LOADING , 2008 .

[45]  Catherine O'Sullivan,et al.  Micromechanics of granular material response during load reversals: Combined DEM and experimental study , 2009 .

[46]  S. F. Brown,et al.  Discrete element modelling of geogrid-reinforced aggregates , 2006 .

[47]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  Discrete Element Modeling of Railroad Ballast Settlement , 2007 .

[48]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  On The Shear Behavior of Ballast-Geosynthetic Interfaces , 2012 .

[49]  G. McDowell,et al.  Cyclic loading of railway ballast under triaxial conditions and in a railway test facility , 2009 .

[50]  T. Sitharam,et al.  Critical state behaviour of granular materials from isotropic and rebounded paths: DEM simulations , 2009 .

[51]  P. Cundall,et al.  A discrete numerical model for granular assemblies , 1979 .

[52]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  Effect of particle breakage on cyclic densification of ballast: A DEM approach , 2010 .