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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Under Sleeper Pads: Field Investigation Of Their Role In Detrimental Impact Mitigation, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alex M. Remennikov Jun 2015

Under Sleeper Pads: Field Investigation Of Their Role In Detrimental Impact Mitigation, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alex M. Remennikov

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Under sleeper pads (USPs) are the component installed under the concrete sleepers generally to improve railway track resilience. Initial development in Europe, particularly in Austria, has encouraged the adoption of the component around the world. In practice, the component has commonly been used in certain applications, mainly to moderate track stiffness in special locations such as turnouts, crossings, and level crossing. In heavy haul operation, the heavier wagons result in sturdier bogie structures, higher unsprung mass, and then higher level of wheel-rail interaction forces. Accordingly, the application of USPs to mitigate detrimental impact load consequence on track structure is presented …


Think Outside The Box: New Materials, Design Application, And Performance Of Railway Turnout Bearers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen May 2014

Think Outside The Box: New Materials, Design Application, And Performance Of Railway Turnout Bearers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Railway turnout systems are a main feature in railway tracks. There are two types of turnout support structures, which can be designed to be either a slab or a cluster of discrete bearers. The choice of turnout support system depends on asset management strategy of the rail operators or maintainers. This paper will focus on the discrete turnout bearer system where turnout alignments, settlement and deformation are comparatively more flexible and retrievable by routine ballast tamping. It embraces the consideration of new materials for use as a turnout bearer. Traditional bearer materials are timber, steel, and concrete. Recent developments have …


Bridge-Track Interaction Under Elevated Temperatures, Sakdirat Kaewunruen Dec 2013

Bridge-Track Interaction Under Elevated Temperatures, Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

This paper presents the adaptability to short-term climate variability and extreme events of existing infrastructures in Australia, especially railway track bridges. The main objective of this research was to analyse the interaction between the track and bridge under elevated temperatures. The scope of work was to evaluate the behaviour of the track and bridge interaction throughout temperature ranges experienced in summer periods whereas the expansion and contraction of materials are different in nature. This investigation was emphasised on the differential longitudinal behaviours of railway track and bridge structure. A nonlinear 3D finite element model of a railway bridge (ballast top) …


Advances In Rail Track Infrastructure Research And Practice, Manicka Dhanasekar, Alex M. Remennikov, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Nannan Zong Dec 2013

Advances In Rail Track Infrastructure Research And Practice, Manicka Dhanasekar, Alex M. Remennikov, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Nannan Zong

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Railway infrastructure plays a critical role in urban development, mobility, and economic growth of society. This focus issue of the Electronic Journal of Structural Engineering is devoted to a special theme, “Advances in Rail Track Infrastructure and Practice - ARTRP”. It contains articles, which were rigorously peer reviewed and accepted from a list of invited manuscripts that demonstrate significant innovation in the area of the structural engineering aspects of the rail track infrastructure. Over the past century or two, rail industry slowly but steadily evolved through significant innovations in the industry; academic research in rail is relatively new. Rail is …


On The Residual Energy Toughness Of Prestressed Concrete Sleepers In Railway Track Structures Subjected To Repeated Impact Loads, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alex M. Remennikov Dec 2013

On The Residual Energy Toughness Of Prestressed Concrete Sleepers In Railway Track Structures Subjected To Repeated Impact Loads, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alex M. Remennikov

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Installed as the crosstie beam support in railway track systems, the prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties) are designed in order to carry and transfer the wheel loads from the rails to the ground. It is nowadays best known that railway tracks are subject to the impact loading conditions, which are attributable to the train operations with either wheel or rail abnormalities such as flat wheels, dipped rails, etc. These loads are of very high magnitude but short duration, as well as there exists the potential of repeated load experience during the design life of the prestressed concrete sleepers. These …


In Situ Performance Of A Complex Urban Turnout Grillage System Using Fibre-Reinforced Foamed Urethane (Ffu) Bearers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen Nov 2013

In Situ Performance Of A Complex Urban Turnout Grillage System Using Fibre-Reinforced Foamed Urethane (Ffu) Bearers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

A full-scale trial to investigate in-situ behaviours of a turnout grillage system using an alternative material, ‘fibre-reinforced foamed urethane (FFU)’ bearers, has been carried out at a complex turnout junction under heavy mixed traffics at Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia. The turnout junction was renewed using the FFU bearers altogether with new special track components. Influences of the FFU bearers on track geometry (recorded by track inspection vehicle ‘AK Car’ and based on survey data), track settlement, track dynamics and acoustic characteristics have been measured. Operational train pass-by measurements have been analysed to evaluate the effectiveness of the replacement methodology. …