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Published: Građevinar 71 (2019) 7
Paper type: Subject review
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Track ballast modelling by discrete element method

Viktorija Sluganović, Stjepan Lakušić, Damir Lazarević

Abstract

An increase in axle load and travel speed causes faster degradation of track structure and, hence, of the ballast prism. Crushing of stone grains in ballast due to excessive contact forces among these grains causes degradation in the form of filling of voids and, in turn, in poorer drainage, which can cause structural failure. The degradation of ballast prism can significantly be reduced, and total maintenance costs can be cut down considerably, by optimizing frequency of maintenance activities and by proper ballast design and shaping based on numerical and experimental procedures. The possibilities of using the discrete element method for predicting track ballast behaviour are presented in this paper.

Keywords
railway track, ballast prism, prism degradation, numerical modelling, granular material

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:

Sluganović, V., Lakušić, S., Lazarević, D.: Track ballast modelling by discrete element method, GRAĐEVINAR, 71 (2019) 7, pp. 589-600, doi: https://doi.org/10.14256/JCE.2350.2018

OR:

Sluganović, V., Lakušić, S., Lazarević, D. (2019). Track ballast modelling by discrete element method, GRAĐEVINAR, 71 (7), 589-600, doi: https://doi.org/10.14256/JCE.2350.2018

LICENCE:

Creative Commons License
This paper is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors:
Viktorija Grgic WEB
Viktorija Sluganović
University of Zagreb
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Lakusic Stjepan2
Stjepan Lakušić
University of Zagreb
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Department for Transportation Engineering
lazarevic WEB
Damir Lazarević
University of Zagreb,
Faculty of Civil Engineering