University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Finite element analysis of railway track under vehicle dynamic impact and longitudinal loads

Zhang, Zijian

Content Files
ZHANG-THESIS-2015.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/89060

Description

Title
Finite element analysis of railway track under vehicle dynamic impact and longitudinal loads
Author(s)
Zhang, Zijian
Issue Date
2015-12-08
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Andrawes, Bassem
Department of Study
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Discipline
Civil Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2016-03-02T19:34:28Z
Keyword(s)
  • Railway track
  • Finite element analysis
  • Concrete crosstie
  • Impact load
  • Longitudinal Load
Abstract
Impact loads caused by flat spots on railcar wheels impose a major maintenance burden on railroads and can cause severe damage to both railcar and rail track components. In addition, the increasing tractive power of locomotives leads to significant increase in the longitudinal load demand in railway tracks. The capacity of longitudinal restraint of existing rail fastening system and its dependency on track parameters affects the future design of rail fastening system. This thesis focuses on investigating numerically these two problems using finite element (FE) method. An FE model with multiple crossties and their accompanying fastening systems is developed and utilized in this study after being validated using field data. The results of the impact load study indicate that impact loading consists of direct wheel impact loads and track system vibration induced impact loads. Both of these impact mechanisms are sensitive to the parameters considered in this study, including the stiffness of rail pad and the speed of train. It is observed that rail pad with a moderate stiffness provides the most effective impact attenuation. Furthermore, impact load is found to increase with increasing train speed. On the other hand, the study conducted on longitudinal track loads focused on investigating the effects of wheel acceleration, elastic modulus of clips, rail-to-railpad coefficient of friction (COF), and crosstie spacing on the distribution of longitudinal force in the rail fastening system. The FE model results suggest that a coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.65 is most efficient in maximizing the longitudinal restraint per railseat. Additionally, a crosstie spacing of 24 inches can lead to a desired distribution of longitudinal force.
Graduation Semester
2015-12
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/89060
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2015 Zijian Zhang

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Civil and Environmental Engineering