THREE-DIMENSIONAL NONLINEAR STABILITY ANALYSIS OF TANGENT CONTINUOUS WELDED RAIL TRACK UNDER TEMPERATURE AND MECHANICAL LOADS

Results from applications of the three-dimensional continuous welded rail (CWR) track model ILLIBUCKLE to a tangent CWR track with nonlinear resistance and lateral geometric imperfections are presented. Stability analysis is made of the tracks under temperature and mechanical loads by using temperature lateral-displacement curves. Tangent CWR track stability is highly sensitive not only to ballast lateral resistance and geometric imperfections of the initial track but also to the vertical rotational stiffness in rail-pad fastener systems and vehicle lateral loads. It is concluded that not only the peak values but also the initial slope and the limit resistance in the ballast lateral-resistance curve obtained from a single-tie push test are important in evaluation of track stability. With regard to vertical rotational stiffness in a rail-pad fastener system, track stability is not significantly affected by the nonlinearities, but it is affected by the initial slope. Effects of the combination of mechanical and thermal loads on tangent track stability are presented. The reduction of ballast lateral resistance due to the uplift of rail tie under vehicle vertical loads as well as the magnitude of vehicle lateral loads significantly decrease track stability. A 1400-kg vehicle lateral load can buckle tangent CWR track under a rail-temperature increase as low as 56 deg C (100 deg F) under unfavorable conditions.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1584-05
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=THREE-DIMENSIONAL+NONLINEAR+STABILITY+ANALYSIS+OF+TANGENT+CONTINUOUS+WELDED+RAIL+TRACK+UNDER+TEMPERATURE+AND+MECHANICAL+LOADS&author=Y.+Bao&author=E.+Barenberg&publication_year=1997
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309061555
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1584, Railroad Research Topics: Costs of High-Speed Rail, Communications-Based Control, and Track Research.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Bao, Yue
  • Barenberg, E J
• Publication Date: 1997

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 31-40
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1584
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ballast (Railroads); Computer models; Continuous welded rail; Mathematical models; Mechanical loads; Nonlinear systems; Stability analysis; Tangent track; Thermal stresses; Wheel loads
• Uncontrolled Terms: Ballast; Lateral resistance; Thermal loads; Vertical loads
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00740699
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309061555
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 17 1997 12:00AM