Full-scale multi-functional test platform for investigating mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems of high-speed railways

• Published in: Railway Engineering Science (Online) Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 213 - 231
• Main Authors: Zhai, Wanming, Wang, Kaiyun, Chen, Zhaowei, Zhu, Shengyang, Cai, Chengbiao, Liu, Gang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.09.2020; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Acceleration; Automotive Engineering; Ballasted track; Ballastless track; Construction standards; Dynamic characteristics; Engineering; Evolution; Foundations; Full-scale test; Functional testing; Geoengineering; High speed rail; High-speed railway; Hydraulics; Impact loads; Infrastructure; Mechanical performance; Mechanical properties; Railroad ballast; Railway construction; Railway engineering; Railway tracks; Regional/Spatial Science; Structural strain; Subgrades; Track–subgrade system; Undercarriages; China; Full-scale test; Mechanical performance; Ballasted track; High-speed railway; Track–subgrade system; Long-term performance evolution; Ballastless track; Damage and degradation
• ISSN: 2662-4745; 2662-4753
• DOI: 10.1007/s40534-020-00221-y

Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure, a full-scale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper, and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples. Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways, namely the CRTS I, the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks, the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track, the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways. Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed, including the real bogie loading, multi-point loading and the impact loading. Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement, acceleration, pressure, structural strain and deformation, etc. Utilizing this test platform, both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated, being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways. As examples, three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways. Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform, which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.