Interface Mechanical Properties and Damage Behavior of CRTS II Slab Track considering Differential Subgrade Settlement

Abstract

To analyze the effects of differential subgrade settlement on the interface mechanical properties and damage behavior of the China Railway Track System (CRTS) II slab track, a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model considering the uneven support of the subgrade was developed. A cohesive zone model was used to simulate the interface damage between the precast slab and the cement asphalt (CA) mortar layer. The effects of settlement amplitude, wavelength, and temperature gradient were analyzed. The results indicated that the interface stress is significantly affected by the settlement amplitude. There exists a particular settlement wavelength that results in the maximum interface stresses. Considerable attention should be paid to the effect of the temperature gradient load, which may cause interface damage in the differential settlement region.