Review of the lateral resistance of ballasted tracks

Abstract

The lateral resistance is one of the main functions of continuously welded rails that are influenced by various factors such as rail temperature, specifications of fastening systems, sleepers, ballast layer, the maintenance process of rails, etc. Nowadays, heavy haul and high-speed railways are operated under extremely complicated conditions, with the structure of the ballasted track and sleeper types also being constantly innovated. Therefore, research on the lateral resistance of ballasted tracks needs further investigation. In this paper, the ballasted track profile, the characteristics of the ballast aggregates, maintenance, and innovative sleepers were investigated and categorized to precisely examine the lateral behaviour of the ballasted tracks. In addition, the changes in the specifications of the abovementioned factors and components were also investigated. It was concluded that the geometry of the ballast layer and the interaction between the ballast and the sleeper are the main factors that led to the higher lateral resistance. In this regard, changes in the shape and type of sleepers as well as the ballast could increase the resistance. The influence of the loading frequency induced by trains and environmental conditions should be considered in further studies.