Abstract
The surface crack of ballastless track slab can seriously reduce the serviceability and durability of high-speed railway (HSR). Aiming at accurately and efficiently detecting the slab cracks, this research proposes an infrared thermography (IRT)-based method for the surface crack, which is the most serious and common crack type in track slab. A three dimensional finite element (FE) model of IRT detection of concrete slab with surface cracks is established. The relation between the width of detectable cracks and the ambient temperature can be thereby obtained by inputting the measured thermodynamic parameters in the model. Parametric study shows that with ambient temperature higher than 15 °C, cracks with a width of no less than 0.2 mm can be well detected. Scale model test and field test are conducted, IRT method can effectively locate the slab surface cracks with width as small as 0.14 mm when ambient temperature is no less than 20 °C.
Highlights
Coupled prefabricated slab tracks (LCPSTs) are widely used in the new high-speed railway (HSR) lines in many countries, such as Germany, Japan, and China
Longitudinally coupled prefabricated slab tracks (LCPSTs) is a multi-layer structure composed by concrete track slab, cement asphalt (CA) mortar layer and concrete base
Since the window time HSR maintenance is always at night, the temperature field of track slab where λ is the conductivity (W·m−1 ·◦ C−1 ), ρ is the density, c is the specific heat capacity is−1mainly affected by the ambient temperature because of the continuous radiation and convection
Summary
Coupled prefabricated slab tracks (LCPSTs) are widely used in the new high-speed railway (HSR) lines in many countries, such as Germany, Japan, and China. How to detect the crack of track slab timely and effectively has become an important problem to be solved in the maintenance of HSR ballastless track. Most of the railway departments around the world adopt manual inspection to detect the cracks. Most of the railway departments around the world adopt manual inspection to detect the cracks of track slabs. Considering thatballastless ballastlesstrack track slab slab is structure, many previous studies adopt regular contactless nondestructive testing (NDT). This research, intothe thecharacteristics characteristics surface crack track slab, proposes an IRT-based crack detection method for LCPST, with the combination of theoretical slab, proposes an IRT-based crack detection method for LCPST, with the combination of theoretical analysis and experiment.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
