Deflectometer-based analysis of ballasted railway tracks

doi:10.1680/geng.2007.160.3.169

Deflectometer-based analysis of ballasted railway tracks

Authors: M. P. N. Burrow ¹ ; A. H. C. Chan ¹ ; A. Shein ²
Source: Proceedings of the ICE - Geotechnical Engineering, Volume 160, Issue 3, pages 169 –177 , ISSN: 1353-2618, E-ISSN: 1751-8563

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All our infrastructure is either on or in the ground. As a result, geotechnical engineering plays a key role in all major civil engineering projects in the UK and beyond.

ICE Proceedings: Geotechnical Engineering provides a forum for the publication of high quality, topical and relevant technical and practical papers covering all aspects of geotechnical research, design, construction and performance. The journal aims to be of interest to those civil, structural or geotechnical engineering practitioners wishing to develop a greater understanding of the influence of geotechnics on the built environment.

Geotechnical Engineering covers all aspects of geotechnical engineering including tunnelling, foundations, retaining walls, embankments, diaphragm walls, piling, subsidence, soil mechanics and geoenvironmental engineering. Presented in the form of reports, design discussions, methodologies and case records it forms an invaluable reference work, highlighting projects which are interesting and innovative.

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In this subject: Innovation Research, Sitework, Ground Engineering, Environment
By this author: M. P. N. Burrow , A. H. C. Chan , A. Shein

The falling weight deflectometer (FWD) device is used in the UK for the dynamic testing of ballasted railway track. Using the deflection data obtained from the test, elastic modulus values of the track substructure required to build a numerical model of the track can be determined using a procedure known as back-analysis. The numerical model so calibrated can be used to determine the effect of the traffic loads on the stresses, strains and deformations in the railway track system, and is an important component of an analytical approach to track substructure design. In this paper, the use of dynamic finite-element analysis to back-analyse the material properties of the railway substructure from FWD deflection data has been demonstrated by means of an example. The numerical approach presented is the rational method for FWD-based inverse analysis and condition evaluation of ballasted railway tracks, and becomes practicable owing to continued advances in finite-element and computer technologies.

Keywords: railtrack design; mathematical modelling; site investigation
Document Type: Research Article
DOI: 10.1680/geng.2007.160.3.169
Affiliations: 1: Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Birmingham UK; 2: Scott Wilson Ltd Birmingham, UK

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Deflectometer-based analysis of ballasted railway tracks