Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Lateral Resistance of Biblock Sleeper on Ballasted Tracks

Abstract

In this study, a series of single-tie push tests were performed on biblock and monoblock sleepers on a test track. In these tests, the variation of shoulder height and shoulder width has been considered as effective parameters for lateral resistance changes. In the next stage, DEM simulations of single-tie push tests (STPTs) were developed with the aim of estimating the contribution of each ballast layer component (base, shoulder, and crib) to the lateral resistance of sleepers. Based on the results, crib ballast supplied the main resistance force (about 50%) against the lateral movement in biblock sleeper tracks, while all ballast components have approximately the same resistance proportional to the monoblock sleeper movement. On the other hand, shoulder height with an increment of up to 150 mm enriched the lateral resistance of the ballast track by 1.5 times by replacing the monoblock sleepers with biblock sleepers. Overall, it was proven that the interaction between crib ballast and sleepers has a more significant influence on the lateral resistance of the ballasted track than the shoulder height variations.