Impact of the method of rail track routing on the thermal regime of subgrade structure - Numerical modeling of non-traffic load

Abstract

The article uses numerical modelling to verify the impact of non-traffic load (water and frost) on subgrade structure freezing of railway tracks with different routing (embankment and cut). The introduction characterizes two actual railway track models in the campus of the University of Žilina, named experimental stand DRETM - Department of Railway Engineering and Track Management (two measuring profiles were considered here: Second measuring profile - embankment, third measuring profile - cut). The second part of the article brings the results of numerical modelling of non-traffic load impact on subgrade structure freezing in two respective profiles. Here, the course of the winter period 2016/2017 for Žilina and the climatic conditions of the winter period 2004/2005 measured for Poprad were applied (the values of the air frost index achieved in Poprad were approximately identical to or higher than the values in Žilina). The conclusion includes a comparison of the individual methods of rail track routing, a summary of achieved results of numerical modelling of subgrade structure freezing and sufficiency assessment of subgrade surface protection from the adverse effects of frost.