Lateral resistance of ballasted tracks for various shapes of sleepers based on limit equilibrium methods

Abstract

In this study, limit equilibrium methods were focused to evaluate lateral resistances of railway ballasted tracks. Lateral resistances under single-sleeper pull-out loadings as well as those under track-panel pull-out loadings were estimated for various shapes of sleepers. The lateral resistances were compared with those obtained from model tests. It was found that the limit equilibrium methods could well predict lateral resistances not only for a rectangular parallelepiped-shape sleeper but also for winged-shape sleepers having rectangular or trapezoid cross sections. It was also found that lateral resistances of various numbers of sleepers under track-panel pull-out loadings could be reasonably predicted by the methods.