Chief track Engineer:
Abstract: (757 Views)
This topic is very traditional and basically has been concerned for a long time. A lot of sophisticated
vehicle/track interaction model and track dynamic deterioration model have been developed so far. The
author also developed a track settlement progress model comprising a vehicle/track interaction model and a
track settlement law. Hanging sleepers are usually caused more or less by the dynamic effect of vehicle/track
interaction and has a great impact on the progress of geometrical irregularity of longitudinal track profile.
This paper describes that the long term, for seven years, monitoring of track deterioration focusing on actual
rail welds and short term monitoring, for three weeks, and dynamic measurements excited by track
irregularities set up artificially under the combination with rail surface irregularity considering the typical
longitudinal profile of rail welds and track geometrical irregularity considering the typical longitudinal
profile of dip joints. Plenty of parameters have influence on the long term monitoring of track settlements
and the dynamic measurements of track behaviour, but in this study hanging sleeper was focused on as a key
parameter of progressing track geometrical irregularity. Based on the achievements of long term monitoring
of track settlements and the dynamic measurements of track behaviour with the focus on rail and/or sleeper
displacement and rail bending stress, the impact of hanging sleepers on the geometrical irregularity growth
mechanism of track longitudinal profile was discussed and identified to be significant. In addition, the
adequacy of track settlement prediction model proposed in this paper was verified to some extent in spite of
limited monitoring and measurement conditions.
Type of Study:
Research |
Subject:
General