Assessment of the Selection of Asphalt Binder for Full Cross-Section Asphalt Waterproof Layer in High-Speed Railway Ballastless Track
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 8
Abstract
In China, the application of asphalt layers in high-speed railway ballastless tracks has two functions. Asphalt layers can be used as a support layer or a waterproof layer; one of these functions is chosen in general design. The main purpose of this work was to apply and evaluate a full cross-section asphalt waterproofing layer in a slab ballastless track. The asphalt layer was intended to support the static and dynamic loads of a high-speed train and protect the internal structure from the effects of environmental temperature. Three types of performance-grade (PG) binders were selected in the asphalt mix design as part of the top surface layer of the subgrade bed of the CRTS III slab ballastless track. These binders (normal, high, and modified-grade binders) are PG64-22, PG70-22, and PG76-22. The efficiency of the asphalt mixture is evaluated through laboratory tests based on permanent deformation and fatigue resistance, and by applying criteria used to assess the mechanical properties in high-speed railways. After analyzing the dynamic response of each layered structure using the 3D finite element model, the laboratory results indicated that the PG76-22, or modified asphalt binder, is suitable for use in ballastless track when applied as a full cross-section asphalt waterproof layer. In addition, the prediction of the model shows that the asphalt waterproof layer performs better than the traditional structure in reducing the stress and vibration of the track.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Chinese government for funding this research through the Chinese Scholarship Council (Grant No. 2016GXY779). The authors would like to thank Tipco Asphalt PCL, Research and Development Department, Thailand, for technical advice and facilitating laboratory testing.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 8 • August 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 24, 2020
Accepted: Nov 23, 2020
Published online: May 31, 2021
Published in print: Aug 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Oct 31, 2021
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