NEW TRANSITION WEDGE DESIGN COMPOSED BY PREFABRICATED REINFORCED CONCRETE SLABS

Authors

Keywords:

TRANSITION WEDGES, GRANULAR WEDGES, TRACK STIFFNESS, RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

Abstract

IMPORTANT TRACK DEGRADATION OCCURS IN STRUCTURE-EMBANKMENT TRANSITIONS, IN WHICH AN ABRUPT CHANGE IN TRACK VERTICAL STIFFNESS ARISES, LEADING TO A REDUCTION IN PASSENGERS COMFORT AND SAFETY. ALTHOUGH GRANULAR WEDGES ARE SUGGESTED BY DIFFERENT RAILROAD ADMINISTRATIONS AS A SOLUTION TO AVOID THESE PROBLEMS, THEY PRESENT SOME DISADVANTAGES WHICH MAY AFFECT TRACK LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE. IN THIS PAPER, A NEW SOLUTION DESIGNED WITH PREFABRICATED REIN-FORCED CONCRETE SLABS IS PROPOSED. THE AIM OF THIS SOLUTION IS TO GUARANTEE A CONTINUOUS AND GRADUAL TRACK VERTICAL STIFFNESS TRANSI-TION IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES, OVERCOMING GRANULAR WEDGES DISADVANTAGES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NOVEL WEDGE DESIGN BY MEANS OF A 3-D FEM MODEL AND TO COMPARE IT WITH THE CURRENT SOLUTION

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Published

2016-04-12

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Articles