RAILROAD GEOMECHANICS II :

RAILROAD SUBSTRUCTURE DESIGN

Korea National University of Transportation

Jeongho Oh
 Concept of Railroad Substructure Design

 Railroad substructure plays an important role for providing structural support to the
upper structure such as rail, timber, and fastener.
 The development of high-speed rail and the growth of transport via train requires
higher standard design of railroad substructure.
 The new generation of track system such as concrete slab track and asphalt ballasted
track is being actively applied and studied all over the places where railway industry
has been developed for a long time period.

Typical track system Asphalt subballast track system

Load Transfer Mechanism in Track System

14
ton

침목

10 20 40 20 10
% % % % %
Load Transfer Mechanism in Track System

수직응력(MPa)

궤도 ~ 420

~2
침목
~ 0.5
깊
도상 이
10%
~ 0.1
노반
Load Transfer Mechanism in Track System

궤도하부구조 설계 시 , 침목과 도상의 접촉압력을 아래의 식으로 산정하고

일반적으로 일정하다고 가정을 한다.

여기서 유효길이를 침목의 1/3이 된다고 가정을 하고 위식을 정리하면:

Load Transfer Mechanism in Track System

In the Japanese track standards, a similar distribution of sleeper/ballast contact is

assumed but with a different effective sleeper length.

: 침목과 도상 접촉응력 측정치

By British railway Corp.

최근 철도 고속화에 따라서
350~450 kPa 접촉응력 상향됨
Stress Determination
 The contact stress between sleeper and ballast can be used as an
indicator to show how the train load is supposed to be distributed through
the substructure.

 Checking the contact stress requires theoretical solution or advanced

modeling technique such as finite element based solution.
Stress Determination – Odemark Method
 In 1949m, Odemark proposed an empirical method to convert a multi-layered system
into a single layer system.

heq
Example of Odemark Theory
Stress Increase due to Circular Distributed Load
원형등분포하중에 의한 응력증가분
The stress increase due to circular distributed load:

3qrdrd  z3 Similar to
 z 
2 
r2  z2 
5/2
point load!

The increase in the stress at point A caused by the entire

load area can be found:

 
 1 
 z  q 1 

  3/2 
R / Z   1 
2

Stress Determination – Trapezoidal
Approximation (2:1 method)
This method assumes that the stress dissipates with depth in the from of a trapezoid that
has 2:1 inclined sides.

With a rectangular sleeper, the average sleeper-ballast contact pressure max for a
third of its total length is first converted into a total concentric vertical load Q on the
sleeper.
Stress Determination – Trapezoidal
Approximation (2:1 method)

The vertical stress at the equivalent depth beneath the sleeper would then be:
Stress Determination by American Railway Engineering and
Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Recommendations

In the design practice for North American railroads, the AREMA Engineering Manual
recommends four equations for determining the pressure applied to the subgrade by the
ballast.

AREMA
recommends
subgrade stress
les than 20 psi.
도상/보조도상 층두께 산정 경험식
Stress Determination – Arema Recommendations

It should be noted that these equations disregarded the effect of the subballast layer on
the load transfer mechanism to the subgrade surface.

 The static rail seat load is different from the static wheel load. Assume about 50% of
wheel load.

The AREMA manual specifies a minimum ballast and subballast thickness of 305 mm and
150 mm, respectively.
ASSIGNMENT #1
With given information, compute the subgrade stress using different methods (2:1 method,
Talbot’s method, Japanese method, Boussinesq’s method, and Love’s equation):

• velocity of train = V = 110km/h

• effective wheel load = Q = 175 kN
0.38 m 310 MPa • diameter of wheel = Dw = 0.97 m
0.15 m 125 MPa • sleeper spacing = a = 0.495 m
• sleeper length = l = 2.5 m
55 MPa • sleeper width = b = 0.26 m
• ballast = 0.3, subballast=0.35,
subgrade = 0.45
• For Love’s equation, use r =
0.263m and FS =2.0

Hint:
1) To compute the equivalent thickness, use Odemark method.
Barber Elastic Solution for 2 Layers
궤도하부구조 (도상,보조도상,노반,노상)
Barber Elastic Solution for 2 Layers
 Barber Solution vs. Burmister Solution
19

p a

h E1 1

E2 2

This system is ideal for a simple pavement consisting of a stiffer layer

(asphalt concrete) resisting on a weaker foundation (subgrade).

Two-Layer Elastic Solutions-Burmister

 Two-Layer Elastic Solutions-Burmister
20

1.5 p a  a E 2 
w Fw  ,  Note that the both layer has
E2  h E1  same Poison's ratio as 0.5.
 Barber Solution vs. Burmister Solution
21
 Assignment #2
22

Compare Barber’s solution and Burmister Solution to determine the

thickness of reinforced roadbed

2a = 270 cm
2b = 54 cm
허용 침하량 =2.5mm

CASE 노반압력 (kg/cm2) E1(kg/cm2) E2(kg/cm2)

1 1.0 1800 900

2 1.0 1800 400
3 0.8 1800 400
Multilayer Linear Elastic
Solutions
y
Extended from Burmister’s
x solution to take care of multiple
z layers
p a
r

h1 E1 1 Most ideal for modeling

E2 2
pavement/railroad system with
h2
simplicity.
Ei i
hi

A variety of computer
hn En n software programs are
z
available..

BISAR, WinJULEA. KENTRACK.
Multilayer Linear Elastic
Solutions
 Layers are homogeneous
 Each layer has finite thickness except subgrade; all layers have
infinite lateral expanse
 Layers are isotropic
 Full friction between layers
 Surface shear forces are not present
 Stress solutions are characterized by two material properties, E
and 
 Stress dependent resilient modulus cannot be used
 Non-uniform contract stress cannot be modeled
 Overburden pressure is usually not considered
Practice of WinJULEA

Change unit!!

1 m = 39.37 inch
1 kPa = 0.145 psi
1 MPa = 145 psi

700
kPa

r = 0.12 m
Practice of WinJULEA
Practice of WinJULEA
Practice of WinJULEA

Sing
convention
- Tension
+
compression
Practice of WinJULEA
ASSIGNMENT #3
Using WinJULEA program, determine and plot the strains at the bottom of the asphalt
concrete layer and surface deflections versus radial offsets of 0.0, 0.1, 0.15,0.2, and 0.3
m.