Identification of ballast grading for rail track

Abstract Grading has long been recognised to critically influence the mechanical behaviour of ballast. To identify the ballast grading for heavy-haul rail track, monotonic and cyclic triaxial tests are conducted to assess the performances of different gradings. Permanent deformations, aggregates degradation, resilience, shear resistance, maximum and minimum densities are recorded and analysed. The grading is found to affect the behaviour of ballast in that coarser gradings exhibit relatively better strength, resilience and therefore less permanent deformation. However, ballast degradation increases with the overall aggregate size. Therefore, to identify the grading for ballast with different performance objectives, a grey relational theory is used to convert the multi-objective into single-objective, i.e. grey relational grade. A relatively optimal grading that provides the highest grey relational grade is thus suggested for the improved ballast performance.

[1]  Torsten Wichtmann,et al.  Improved simplified calibration procedure for a high-cycle accumulation model , 2015 .

[2]  J. Deng,et al.  Introduction to Grey system theory , 1989 .

[3]  Hongwei Huang,et al.  An efficient optimization method for identifying parameters of soft structured clay by an enhanced genetic algorithm and elastic–viscoplastic model , 2017 .

[4]  Yin-Fu Jin,et al.  A new hybrid real-coded genetic algorithm and its application to parameters identification of soils , 2017 .

[5]  Marc Boulon,et al.  Soil parameter identification using a genetic algorithm , 2008 .

[6]  N. P. Honkanadavar,et al.  Modeling the triaxial behavior of riverbed and blasted quarried rockfill materials using hardening soil model , 2016 .

[7]  Sanjay Nimbalkar,et al.  Laboratory Assessment of the Role of Particle Size Distribution on the Deformation and Degradation of Ballast under Cyclic Loading , 2016 .

[8]  B. Indraratna,et al.  Deformation and Degradation Mechanisms of Railway Ballast under High Frequency Cyclic Loading , 2016 .

[9]  Shui-Long Shen,et al.  Selection of sand models and identification of parameters using an enhanced genetic algorithm , 2016 .

[10]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  Geotechnical properties of ballast and the role of geosynthetics in rail track stabilisation , 2006 .

[11]  W. Powrie,et al.  Dependence of shape on particle size for a crushed rock railway ballast , 2013 .

[12]  S. Brown,et al.  THE EFFECT OF GRADING AND DENSITY ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF A CRUSHED DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE --14TH ARRB CONFERENCE, 28 AUGUST - 2 SEPTEMBER, 1988, CANBERRA, ACT, AUSTRALIA; PROC. PARTS 1 - 8 , 1988 .

[13]  Aw Drews,et al.  Standard Test Method for Analysis of , 1998 .

[14]  Yifei Sun,et al.  Application of fractional calculus in modelling ballast deformation under cyclic loading , 2017 .

[15]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  “Critical particle size” and ballast gradation studied by Discrete Element Modeling , 2016 .

[16]  Yin‐Fu Jin,et al.  Modeling Mechanical Behavior of Very Coarse Granular Materials , 2017 .

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

[18]  Erol Tutumluer,et al.  AREMA Gradations Affecting Ballast Performance Using Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) Approach , 2009 .

[19]  Yifei Sun.  Effect of particle angularity and size distribution on the deformation and degradation of ballast under cyclic loading , 2017 .

[20]  Jie Han,et al.  Analytical Model for Resilient Modulus and Permanent Deformation of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Unbound Granular Material , 2013 .

[21]  Sanjay Nimbalkar,et al.  Behaviour of clay-fouled ballast under drained triaxial testing , 2013 .

[22]  Buddhima Indraratna,et al.  An evaluation of the interface behaviour of rail subballast stabilised with geogrids and geomembranes , 2015 .

[23]  Raúl J. Marsal,et al.  Large Scale Testing of Rockfill Materials , 1967 .

[24]  Taho Yang,et al.  The use of grey relational analysis in solving multiple attribute decision-making problems , 2008, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[25]  Yingjie Yang,et al.  A brief introduction to grey systems theory , 2011 .

[26]  Morteza Esmaeili,et al.  Investigating the effect of nailed sleepers on increasing the lateral resistance of ballasted track , 2016 .

[27]  Jun-jie Wang,et al.  Effects of Particle Size Distribution on Shear Strength of Accumulation Soil , 2013 .

[28]  Justin Kennedy,et al.  Reducing railway track settlement using three-dimensional polyurethane polymer reinforcement of the ballast , 2013 .

[29]  Adam F. Sevi,et al.  Cyclic Behaviors of Railroad Ballast within the Parallel Gradation Scaling Framework , 2012 .

[30]  Torsten Wichtmann,et al.  Stiffness and Damping of Clean Quartz Sand with Various Grain-Size Distribution Curves , 2014 .

[31]  T. G. Sitharam,et al.  Micromechanical Modelling of Granular Materials: Effect of Particle Size and Gradation , 2000 .

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

[33]  Peter A. Claisse,et al.  Rail ballast: conclusions from a historical perspective , 2006 .

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

[35]  Yifei Sun,et al.  Three-dimensional characterisation of particle size and shape for ballast , 2014 .

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