Static and dynamic behavior of transitions between different railway track typologies

Abstract

A railway track stretch comprising three different track typologies (i.e., ballasted track, asphalt slab track and concrete slab track) has been modeled using a three-dimensional Finite Elements model, which has been calibrated and validated using real acceleration records. In this model, two different analyses have been run: a static analysis to assess the stiffness evolution and a dynamic analysis to calculate the accelerations induced by the train loads along the transition zones. These analyses have been used to assess the performance of three different techniques existing in the literature to improve the structural behavior of the track in the transition areas: the variation of the stiffness of the elastomers, the implementation of additional rails and the use of resilient mats. Results have demonstrated that these techniques perform generally better in the track vertical stiffness transition between the concrete and asphalt slab tracks while the dynamic response is not significantly altered in any scenario.