Study on the structural stability of the rail pad and its influence on the dynamic response of the vehicle-track coupled system

Abstract

This paper investigates the structural stability difference between Grooved Rail Pads (GRP) and Mesh-Type Rail Pad with Damping Blocks (MTRPDB), along with their impact on vehicle-track coupled systems. Firstly, the different loading tests reveal that both Rail Pad (RP) types exhibit increased static/dynamic stiffness when with higher loading. The MTRPDB maintains superior structural stability and vibration absorption under large loading, and the fatigue tests confirm its better fatigue resistance. Then, finite element analysis demonstrates that MTRPDB outperforms GRP with a higher bearing capacity and lower stress level under large loading. Moreover, MTRPDB can better maintain a linear stiffness under identical working conditions. Finally, the dynamic analysis reveals that an increasing number of RP failures negatively impact train safety, and the car body acceleration significantly rises with more RP failures. Furthermore, the MTRPDB exhibits lower dynamic responses compared to GRP across different speed conditions, indicating its superior vibration absorption capacity.