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Improved Performance Of Ballasted Tracks At Transition Zones: A Review Of Experimental And Modelling Approaches, Buddhima Indraratna, Muhammad Babar Sajjad, Ngoc Trung Ngo, A Correia, Richard B. Kelly

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Track transitionssuch as bridge approaches, road crossings and shifts from slab track to ballasted track are common locations wheretrack degradation accelerates due to dynamic and high impact forces; as a consequence there is higher differential settlement. Thesetypes of discontinuities cause an abrupt change in the structural responseof the track due mainly tovariations in stiffness and track damping. Track transitionzones are prone to an accelerated deterioration of track material and geometrythat leads to increased maintenance costs.Track deteriorationalso leads to vehicle degradation due to enhanced acceleration, low frequency oscillation, and high frequency vibrations. While ballastdeterioration is amajor factor affecting thestability and longevity …