Development of FE-based simulation method for evaluating ballast settlement of railway track with transition zone or a rail joint

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06177
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Structural engineering/Earthquake engineering/Maintenance management engineering
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: KORO Kazuhiro 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (70361912)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: バラスト道床沈下 / 弾塑性有限要素法 / 確率有限要素法 / 材料物性値のばらつき / 軌道剛性急変箇所 / レール継目

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A coupling simulation method with track vibration and ballast settlement phenomena is developed for predicting the irreversible displacement (settlement) of railway ballast with transition zone or a rail joint. The present simulation method, is based on the finite element method (FEM), is used for investigating the influence of several factors in railway track, e.g. wheel running speed, joint structure and rail irregularity, on the progression of ballast settlement. The railway ballast is composed of crushed stones, and hence has spatial variation of its elastoplastic behavior. The influence of the simulated ballast settlement on the spatial variation of the mechanical behavior is estimated through the numerical tests using the stochastic FEM (SFEM).

Free Research Field

応用力学，鉄道工学，計算力学