Structural and Vibration Performance in Different Scenarios of a Prefabricated Wedge for Railway Transition Zones

Abstract

Introduction: In railway tracks, transition zones are located between the civil structures and the embankments. In this sense, differential settlements take place due to the difference of stiffness between the two, resulting in direct damage to the track. Currently, railway managers have tried, without success, to solve this problem using granular wedges. Purpose: For this reason, to achieve a continuous and gradual track vertical stiffness in transition zones, a new type of transition wedge has been designed using prefabricated concrete slabs. In addition, it was studied if the new wedge was valid to be installed in urban environments, as it is thought that the transmission of railway vibrations through concrete could be very high. Method: With this purpose, firstly the design and validation of the new transition wedge has been carried out. To do this, the different alternatives were installed in a test field and the one with the best performance was selected. Once selected, an FEM was used to validate its performance compared to a granular wedge. Secondly, using the FEM of the validated solution, a comparison of the vibrational response of both alternatives was carried out to determine whether the new wedge is suitable for installation in urban environments. Results and conclusions: The results showed that the new wedge using concrete slabs was an optimal solution to be installed in railway transition zones. However, these wedges did not show an adequate performance in urban environments, so the use of granular wedges was concluded to be more appropriate. © 2021, Krishtel eMaging Solutions Private Limited.