Determination of Dynamic Track Modulus from Measurement of Track Velocity during Train Passage
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 11
Abstract
The measurement of track stiffness, or track modulus, is an important parameter for assessing the condition of a railway track. This paper describes a method by which the dynamic track modulus can be determined from the dynamic displacements of the track during normal train service, measured using geophones. Two techniques are described for calculating the track modulus—the inferred displacement basin test (DBT) method and a modified beam on an elastic foundation (BOEF) method. Results indicate that the viscoelastic response of the soil will influence the value of track modulus determined using the DBT method. The BOEF method was therefore used to calculate the apparent increase in axle load due to train speed. Hanging or partly supported sleepers were associated with a relatively small increase in dynamic axle loads with train speed.
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Acknowledgments
The work described in this paper was carried out under the auspices of Rail Research U.K., and financed by grants from the Engineering and Physical Sciences ResearchUNSPECIFIED Council (Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDGR/S12784/01). The writers are grateful to Network Rail CTRL (David Hutchinson) for facilitating and supporting the on-site measuring program, and to Dr. Louis Le Pen for his help and assistance during the measuring program.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 11 • November 2009
Pages: 1732 - 1740
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 2, 2008
Accepted: Apr 22, 2009
Published online: Apr 24, 2009
Published in print: Nov 2009
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