Parametric Study on Stability of Continuous Welded Rail Track-Ballast Resistance and Track Irregularity -

Continuous welded rails are common in construction of railroad systems. Although the continuous welded rail track has many advantages, the stability of the track is highly affected by change of temperatures and vehicle load. The temperature force and vehicle load can cause the continuous welded rail track to buckle. For parameter study on the buckle of the continuous welded rail track, this paper investigates the influence of the lateral and longitudinal ballast resistance, one of important factors to calculate the critical values of the track using special finite element program. Also, the sensitivity of the track irregularities such as the alignment defect and the gauge irregularity are investigated. The results obtained in the study can be used to predict the buckling capacity of the continuous welded rail track with respect to the detail effect of each parameter.