Rail Track Interaction Analysis and Design

using Rail Track Analysis Wizard

MIDASIT

111-1
01 Definition and Necessity of Continuous Welded Rail

1) Definition of Continuous Welded Rail (CWR)

Rails are continuously welded and thus, the length of one rail is longer than 200m.

ex > standard length rail (L=25m), longer rail (L=25~200m)

2) Necessity of Continuous Welded Rail

- The reduced impact force in the rails increases the life span of the rails and improves the ride quality.
- The decreasing noise and vibration by the reduced impact force is less impeding the ambient environment.

Q Wheel/rail impact forces

Wheel impact Q

Dynamic amplification
6
forces occur 5
4
3
2
1
0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Time[ms]

3) Check Points for Continuous Welded Rail

- When temperature rises: track deformation

(buckling of rail)
- When temperature drops: split web at rail end
02 Theory on Track/Bridge Interaction Analysis
1) Axial Forces in a Continuously Welded Rail Track 2) Axial Forces in a Continuously Welded Rail
on Embankment Track on Bridge

Axial forces
in the rails

Resistance
Additional rail
stresses

Continuous welded rail

Fixed end Movable end

Displacement in the rails (mm) Distance (m)

Axial forces in the track on embankment Track/bridge interaction due to

under thermal loading thermal loading

F = E × A × α × ∆T
03 Design Specifications for Track/Bridge Interaction Analysis
Korean Design Standard: Railway Design Manual (Volume Track)
Other Design Standards: UIC774-3, EN 1991-2
Design Criteria
Item Loads
Gravel ballast track Concrete track
R≥1500: 72N/mm2
Compressive stress Thermal loads R≥700: 58N/mm2
Additional rail Accelerating/braking 92N/mm2
R≥600: 54N/mm2
stress loads R≥300: 27N/mm2
Train vertical loads
Tensile stress 92N/mm2 92N/mm2
<5mm Check the stability (the uplift
Longitudinal relative displacement in bridge Accelerating/braking
<30mm (when constructing force and compression) of
deck loads
REJ (rail expansion joint)) rail fastener
longitudinal displacement due to rotation of Check the stability (the uplift
Train vertical loads
the deck end between deck and deck or <8mm force and compression) of
between deck and pier rail fastener
Opening displacement when split web at rail
end takes place (applying cable signaling Thermal loads Same as the gravel track
D=√(R2-(R-δ)2)
system or zero-longitudinal resistance rail (ZLR)
fastener)

Other References
- A study on the performance enhancement of the interface of concrete track, Korea Rail Network Authority
- A study on the reduction in the axial forces of a continuous welded rail on bridge and a study on the improvement for
the stability of tracks, Korea Rail Network Authority
- New track mechanics, (Japan)
04 Design Loads
1) Thermal Loads
- If all of the spans in the bridge consist of a continuous welded rail, thermal loads are applied to the bridge and rails or the
rails only.
- If rail expansion joints are present on the bridge, thermal loads are applied to both the bridge and the rails.
- Temperature variations in the rails and bridge are as follows:

. Rails: in summer=+40℃, in winter=-50℃

. Bridge: concrete structures=±25℃, steel structures= normal temperature area ±35℃, cold temperature
area ± 45℃

2) Accelerating/Braking Loads
- Accelerating/braking loads are uniformly distributed and applied to the two front positions of the rails. The
magnitude of load and the loaded length are as follows:

Accelerating loads braking loads

Type of Track
Magnitude of Load Loaded length Magnitude of Load Loaded length
High-speed railway 33kN/m/track 33m 20kN/m/track 400m
Normal railway 24kN/m/track 33m 12kN/m/track 300m

- For the cases such as an exclusive subway track, light rail transit, etc where the design loads are different,
transformed uniform loads which correspond to ¼ of the rail axial loads are used. The loaded length is equal to
one maximum coach.
- Accelerating/braking loads are applied concurrently with the associated vertical loads.
- Accelerating/braking loads are applied to the positions that will cause the most unfavorable rail stresses or bridge
deformations.
04 Design Loads
3) Train Vertical Loads
-For a high-speed railway, HL load does not include - For a normal railway, LS load and an equivalent load
an impact factor. For a passenger locomotive, HL can be applied and an impact factor is not
load can have a uniform load of 60kN/m. considered.

(a) LS load (L-load)

(a) HL load 95kN/m 74kN/m

(b) Equivalent LS load

(b) Equivalent HL load

- For an exclusive subway track, EL-18 load or an equivalent

uniformly distributed load can be applied.

- For a double or more track bridge, only two tracks will be

loaded with train vertical loads.

- For a multi-span continuous bridge, only the deck near the

critical positions will be loaded.
05 Load Combinations and Analysis Methods
1) Load Combinations

- Load combinations used for computing the rail stresses and the longitudinal loads
acting on bearings

ƩR = αR (Thermal loads) + βR(Accelerating/braking loads)+γR(Train vertical loads)

- When computing the stresses and displacements in the rails for a continuous or simply supported bridge deck:
α,β,γ=1

- When using the computational analysis method, the interaction due to accelerating/braking loads and train
vertical loads can be separately computed.

2) Analysis Methods

- The accuracy depends on the computational analysis methods.

- The following two computational analysis methods are available:

. Separate analysis: thermal loading, accelerating/braking loading and train vertical loading are separately
considered.

. Staged analysis: thermal loading, accelerating/braking loading and train vertical loading are concurrently
applied.
- Depending on the global structural system, the separate analysis is more likely to produce the greater axial forces
than the staged analysis.
05 Load Combinations and Analysis Methods
3) Descriptions of Two Analysis Methods
Simplified Separate Analysis Stage Analysis/Complete Analysis

Like the separate analysis, in the consideration of thermal loading, the resistance is
In the separate application of thermal loading, the lateral resistance of ballast initially
limited to the “Thermal Alone”.
follows the “Unloaded stiffness” curve and is limited to the “Limit of resistance of
The main difference between the two analyses is that “Construction Stage Analysis”
unloaded track”. In other words, the ballast resists with the “Unloaded stiffness” up to
of midas Civil applies the train loading maintaining the deflection and the internal
the “Thermal Alone”.
forces caused by the thermal loading and replaces the “Unloaded stiffness”
Separate analysis of train loading is followed and combined with the thermal load
resistance with the “Loaded stiffness”. The analysis resumes from the “Thermal
analysis results so as to obtain the final analysis results. The analysis resumes from the
Alone” with the “Loaded stiffness”. But the lateral resistance is limited by the “Limit
“Thermal Alone” and the lateral resistance follows the “Loaded stiffness” curve and
of resistance of loaded track” from the origin, not from the “Thermal Alone”, and
reaches the “Separate Train Load Added to Thermal”.
arrives at the “Construction Stage Analysis (Deformed position)”.
This gives an increase in the resistance of the ballast, which equals the “Apparent
Increase in resistance of loaded track”, results in a greater yielding load than in the
“Loaded” state and therefore increases the stresses in the rails.
06 Check Stresses
1) Additional Stresses
- Additional Compressive Stresses: After setting the temperature in the rails to zero, apply the positive (+)
temperature loading to the bridge. Check the additional compressive stresses in the rails against the design
criteria.

Additional compressive stresses due to temperature loads Additional compressive stresses due to train loads
- Additional Tensile Stresses: After setting the temperature in the rails to zero, apply the negative (-) temperature
loading to the bridge. Check the additional tensile stresses in the rails against the design criteria.

Additional tensile stresses due to temperature loads Additional tensile stresses due to train loads
07 Check Displacements
1) Relative Displacements between the Rails and Bridge
- Restrict the deformations of the deck and the track to prevent the excessive relaxation of ballast.

- Limits to the relative lateral displacements between the bridge deck and rails under accelerating/braking loads:
4mm or less

- Exceptions are made for the cases where the zero-longitudinal resistance rail fastener is used and the special
treatment is done for the contact underneath the rails.
2) Limits to the Absolute Longitudinal Displacements in the Bridge Deck
- Limits to the absolute longitudinal displacements between the bridge deck and pier or between the bridge deck
and deck under accelerating/braking loads: 5mm or less
3) Limits to the Longitudinal Displacements in the Deck End due to the Angle of Rotation
- Limits to the longitudinal displacements in the deck end due to the rotation of the deck end under train vertical
loads: 5mm or less

Longitudinal displacements
abutment pier at top surface of deck end

Limits to relative longitudinal displacements Limits to displacements due to rotation of deck end
06 Check Displacements
4) Allowable Opening Displacements When Split Web at Rail End Takes Place

- Allowable Opening Displacements According to International Standards

ACI Manual of Concrete Pracice Japanese Shinkansen Railway Structure Design Standard
Allowable opening Allowable opening
Wheel radius Conditions
displacements displacements
16 in. (0.4m) or less 2in.(50mm) -rail: 60kg
-buckling strength of rail: 69mm
16 in. or higher 4in.(100mm) 100tonf/rail

- Allowable Opening Displacements According to Korean Standards

. Railway Design Manual (Volume Track) Wheel load P

1) Limits to the opening displacements, d, when the split web at rail Vehicle velocity V

end takes place due to thermal loads in case of using cable Center of wheel O
Wheel radius R
signaling system (not track circuit system):
P
d= R 2 − ( R − δ )2 δ= e− β x β x β=4
k
Bending stiffness of rail EI Vertical displacement δ
2 EI β 3
4 EI
2) Restrict the opening displacements of (1) when a
Bearing stiffness of track K
Opening displacement d
zero-longitudinal resistance rail fastener is built
07 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Track (1)
1) Longitudinal Resistance of Track
Longitudinal resistance of track vs. longitudinal
Bi-Linear behavior of longitudinal resistance of track
displacement of rail

Allowable longitudinal resistance of track

Longitudinal
Limit displacement
Type of Track Load Case resistance of track Remark
(mm)
(kN/m)
Loaded Case 2.0 12.0~20.0 Note 1
Gravel track
Unloaded Case 2.0 60.0

Concrete track or frozen Loaded Case 0.5 40.0 Note 2

ballast track Unloaded Case 0.5 60.0

 Note 1: Apply 20.0kN/m when checking the rail stresses and apply 12.0kN/m when checking the displacements in the structure
 Note 2: In the case when tests for longitudinal resistance are conducted, values derived from tests can be used.
07 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Track (1)
Axial stresses of gravel track in the longitudinal direction
Loaded Condition (accelerating/braking loads and vertical
Unloaded Condition (under thermal loads) loads added)

Axial stresses of concrete track in the longitudinal direction

Loaded Condition (accelerating/braking loads and vertical
Unloaded Condition (under thermal loads) loads added)

Longitudinal axial stress is about 30% less in the gravel track than in the concrete track under the same
conditions.
 07 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Track (2)
1) Zero-Longitudinal Resistance Rail (ZLR) Fastener in the Bridge Section

Characteristic behavior of zero-longitudinal resistance rail fastener

- The zero-longitudinal resistance rail fastener behaves similarly to the conventional rail fastener for the gravity
load but generates a gap between the rail and the rail fastener not to introduce longitudinal resistance.

<Gap between rail fastener and rail base> <Downslide of rigid body of rail <Vertical load-displacement
fastener> diagram>

Whether to install ZLR or not can reduce about 29% of the axial stress under the same conditions.
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (1)
1) Expansion Length

- Illustrations of expansion lengths

- Type 1 - Type 2

- Type 3 - Type 4

- Maximum expansion length recommended by UIC774-3 for a single deck railway bridge with gravel ballast
not needing REJ (rail expansion joint)
. 60m: Steel structure with gravel ballast track (the maximum length is 120m when a support exists in the
middle)
. 90m: Steel or concrete bridge with gravel ballast track and concrete slab
(the maximum length is 180m when a support exists in the middle)
. For the ballastless track, detailed analysis should be conducted.
L 2L

- The expansion length is limited to 80m or less in the Kyongbu high-speed railway design standards.
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (1)
- Type 1

Unloaded Condition : 26.48 MPa Loaded Condition : 32.86 MPa

- Type 2

Unloaded Condition : 11.45 MPa Loaded Condition : 14.07 MPa

08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (1)
- Type 3

Unloaded Condition : 26.52 MPa Loaded Condition : 42.05 MPa

- Type 4

Unloaded Condition : 21.12 MPa Loaded Condition : 26.43 MPa

Axial stresses in the longitudinal direction under the same conditions:

Type 2 (14.07 MPa) < Type 4 (26.43 MPa) < Type 1 (32.86 MPa) < Type 3 (42.05 MPa)
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (2)
1) Span length

- Train vertical loads can cause the longitudinal deformations in the girder, and the span length is the factor
causing the track/bridge interaction.

2) Bending stiffness of the deck and the deck height

- Because of the bending of deck, train vertical loads on bridge can cause interactions.
- The bending of deck induces longitudinal deflections at top surface of the deck end and therefore causes the
relaxation of gravel track.
2@40M_FMM_Vertical Load
-35

0.1 Ko
-30
0.5 Ko
1.0 Ko
-25
2.0 Ko

Rail Stress (MPa)

10 Ko
-20

-15

-10

-5

The effect of bending in deck end 0

1.0 EI 1.5 EI 2.0 EI
Stiffness of Deck
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (3)
1) Support stiffness
K: Total stiffness of support

: relative displacement between the upper and

lower parts of bearing

Factors affecting the support stiffness K

08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (4)
1) Effects of support layout of bridge
Types of bearing

FFFF type FMM type

FM type MFM type

FMMF type MFMM type

Axial forces by FF-MM type Axial forces by FM type

08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (4)
2) Cases illustrating the effects of support layout of bridge
- Case1: Simple bridge ( 1@30 8 Span)
FMFM type MFFM type

Axial force is about 26% less for MFFM type (28.12 MPa) than in the FMFM type (38.08 MPa) when other conditions are identical.

- Case 2: 2 span continuous bridge (2@30 4 Span)

MFM type FMM type

Axial force is about 45% less for MFM type (29.77 MPa) than in the FMM type (54.20 MPa) when other conditions are identical.
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (5)
1) Axial forces affected by span composition

Case 1 : 78.75 MPa > Case 2 : 60.63 MPa > Case 3 : 59.72 MPa
Axial force is 24.2% less for Case 3 than in Case 1.
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (6)
1) Number of spans and the stiffness of deck

Thermal loads

COMPARE(Com_2@40M_35oC_FMM) COMPARE(Ten_2@40M_35oC_FMM)
0
60

-10
0.1 Ko 50
0.5 Ko

Rail Stress (MPa)

-20
Rail Stress (MPa)

1.0 Ko 40
2.0 Ko
-30
10 Ko 0.1 Ko
30
0.5 Ko
-40
1.0 Ko
20
2.0 Ko
-50 10 Ko
10
-60
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10

Number of Span Number of Span

Effect analysis
- For about 6~10 or more spans, the additional axial force is no longer increased and converges
into a constant value.
08 Factors Affecting the Axial Forces in Bridge (6)
2) Number of spans and the stiffness of 3) The stiffness of deck
deck
Accelerating/braking loads Vertical train loads

COMPARE(Com_2@40M_FMM) 2@40M_FMM_Vertical Load

0 -35

0.1 Ko
-10 -30
0.5 Ko
1.0 Ko
-25
-20 2.0 Ko

Rail Stress (MPa)

Rail Stress (MPa)

10 Ko
-20
-30
0.1 Ko
0.5 Ko -15
-40 1.0 Ko
2.0 Ko -10
-50 10 Ko
-5
-60
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 1.0 EI 1.5 EI 2.0 EI

Number of Span Stiffness of Deck

Effect analysis
- Rail stress is increased as the stiffness of deck, K, is reduced under the accelerating/braking loads.
- The effects of the stiffness of deck on rail stresses are minor under the vertical train loads.
09 Track/Bridge Interaction Analysis
1) Computational Analysis

- Considerations for modeling

• Placement of bearings, the dimensions and properties of the deck and pier, the bending stiffness and the height of deck,
the neutral axis of deck, and the lateral and bending stiffness of foundation.
Rail expansion joint
Track Spring for the longitudinal
resistance of ballast (Bilinear)

Embankment section Bridge deck

Centerline
궤도중심선 of track
- Finite elements
Rigid Link
• Rail and bridge: Beam elements
• Ballast or pad: nonlinear spring elements
상판중립축
Neutral axis of bridge deck
- Modeling method
Rigid Link
• Element length: 1~2m is recommended
교좌장치
Bearing
09 Track/Bridge Interaction Analysis
2) Verification of computational analysis

- A computer program that performs the track/bridge interaction should be validated against the test cases specified
in the Appendix 1.7.1 of UIC774-3. Percentage errors may be up to 10% and up to 20% for safety side.

Result table for a simple span bridge specified in UIC774-3

Standard dimensions recommended by UIC774-3

09 Track/Bridge Interaction Analysis
3) Validation against UIC774-3
Validation of thermal loads

Result due to temperature 35 degrees centigrade on Result due to temperature 35 degrees centigrade on bridge deck and
bridge deck: -30.47 Mpa 50 degrees centigrade on rails: -150.17 Mpa
UIC774-3 recommendation: -30.67 MPa UIC774-3 recommendation: 156.67 MPa

Validation of the maximum additional stresses due to train moving loads

Additional stress at 0 point from right pier due to train loading:

181.38 Mpa Maximum additional stresses due to train moving
UIC774-3 recommendation: 182.4 MPa loads: -195.05 MPa
10 Rail Expansion Joint

1) Establishment of Criteria for Construction of Rail Expansion Joint on Bridge Section

The limits to the axial force and displacement

of a continuous welded rail on bridge are exceeded

Countermeasure

Support layout

bridge Span composition

Stiffness of deck
Conditions for building rail expansion joints
Use zero-longitudinal resistance rail
track
fasteners

 Minimum separated distance between expansion joints

 Separation distance from a turnout
Economic efficiency  Separation distance from the terminus for a transition curve
 Separation distance from the terminus for a bell curve
 Requirements for building the bridge deck
Compare the maintenance cost for rail expansion
joints with the cost of bridge construction
10 Rail Expansion Joint
2) Flowchart illustrating the construction of rail expansion joint
Check the axial force
and displacement in OK Continue
the rails
NG
Modify the support placement

NG Check the axial force OK

and displacement in
the rails
NG
Modify the span composition

NG Check the axial force OK

and displacement in
the rails
NG
Modify the stiffness of deck

NG Check the axial force OK

and displacement in
the rails
NG

Use a zero-longitudinal resistance rail fastener

NG Check the axial force OK

and displacement in
the rails
NG
Consider building REJ (rail expansion joint)

NG Analyze the economical OK Allow the construction of rail

Submit the report
efficiency expansion joint