A coupled model for investigating the interfacial and fatigue damage evolution of slab tracks in vehicle-track interaction

Abstract

Modeling, evaluation and prediction of slab track damage and its evolution are nowadays challenge and hot topics, in which the computer modeling program lies a foundation for vehicle-track dynamic analysis subject to slab track damage except the experimental research. In this work, the finite element modeling methods and related computer modules are presented to compile a simulation program to evaluate the slab track damage evolution accompanied by vehicle-track dynamic interaction, where the moving vehicle is modeled as a multi-rigid-body system with the primary and secondary suspensions, and the Bernoulli-Euler beam, thin-plate and solid finite element and spring-dashpots are introduced to model the track system. The fatigue damage constitutive models of the concrete slabs and viscoelastic filling layers, and the interfacial cohesive zone model, are set as the criteria to control and characterize the damage evolution of slab tracks. Apart from model validations, numerical studies are conducted to quantitatively show influence of track irregularities on slab track damage evolution and the slab track damage on vehicle-track system response. It illustrates the necessity of considering the combined fatigue and interfacial damages of slab tracks instead of separately accounting for the fatigue or interfacial damage.