Flexural Behavior of Concrete Crossties under Different Support Conditions
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 143, Issue 12
Abstract
Successful mapping of concrete crosstie flexural demands to different railroad track support conditions can lead to an improved understanding of crosstie flexural performance and more representative design requirements. Even though the ballast layer typically provides significant pressure distribution variability under concrete crossties, understanding these support conditions is essential for accurately predicting bending moments along the crossties, a useful metric for both design and planning of tamping activities in railroad track. To quantify the influence of support conditions on concrete crossties’ bending moments, laboratory experiments were performed. New and center-cracked concrete crossties were loaded while subjected to different support conditions through the use of rubber pads designed to simulate the ballast support. Results show that bending moments at the crosstie center are quite sensitive and may even be underestimated in current U.S. design practices that do not currently allow for cracking. Additionally, findings indicate that rail seat bending moments may be overestimated in typical design practices. Finally, there was no statistically significant difference between bending moments of uncracked and cracked crossties for the investigated cracking pattern.
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Acknowledgments
This research effort is funded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), part of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). The material in this paper represents the position of the authors and not necessarily that of the FRA. All laboratory experiments were performed by UIUC’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) at the Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) at the Harry Schnabel, Jr. Geotechnical Laboratory in Champaign, Illinois. The authors also would like to acknowledge the following industry partners: Union Pacific Railroad; BNSF Railway; National Railway Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); Amsted RPS /Amsted Rail, Inc.; GIC; Hanson Professional Services, Inc.; and CXT Concrete Ties, Inc., an LB Foster Company. J. Riley Edwards has been supported in part by the grants to the UIUC Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) from CN, Hanson Professional Services, and the George Krambles Transportation Scholarship Fund. Josué César Bastos has been supported in part by CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil.
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 10, 2017
Accepted: Jun 19, 2017
Published online: Oct 14, 2017
Published in print: Dec 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Mar 14, 2018
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