The contribution of ballast layer components to the lateral resistance of ladder sleeper track

Abstract

The sleeper-ballast interface of railway tracks directly is associated with lateral resistance which plays an important role in the mechanical behavior of ballasted tracks. In a real-case implementation of ballasted track for speeds as high as 400 km/h, sufficient lateral resistance is vital to prevent the lateral movement of the track. In view of the future development, a series of full-scale lateral track panel tests (LTPT) were conducted to evaluate the lateral resistance of ladder sleepers as a substitution of monoblock sleepers. The experimental results revealed that the application of the ladder sleepers caused an increase in lateral resistance of the ballasted track as well as a reduction in the use of ballast aggregates. In addition, the contribution of the ladder sleeper facets to the lateral resistance was investigated by the discrete element method (DEM). In conclusion, crib ballast has the main role in the lateral resistance of ladder sleeper tracks.