Comparative analysis on dynamic behavior of two HMA railway substructures

A numerical analysis using a finite element program was performed on three structures： hot mix asphalt （HMA） reinforced trackbed （RACS-1）, HMA directly supported trackbed （RACS-2）, and traditional Portland Cement Concrete （PCC） slab track （SlabTrack）. Although the comprehensive dynamic responses of RACS-1 were similar with SlabTrack, HMA layer can positively affect the stress distributions. In particular, the horizontal stresses indicate that the resilience of RACS-1 was improved relative to SlabTrack. In addition, HMA reinforced substructure has the capacity to recover the residual vertical deformation. The effective depth for weakening dynamic loadings is mainly from 0 to 2 m, this being especially true at 0.5 m. The results from the analysis show that HMA is a suitable material for the railway substructure to enhance resilient performance, improve the stress distribution, weaken dynamic loading, and lower the vibration, especially at the effective depth of 2 m. The HMA constructed at the top of the stone subbase layer allows the vertical modulus a smooth transition. In terms of the comprehensive dynamic behaviors, RACS-1 is better than SlabTrack, while the results for RACS-2 are inconclusive and require further research.

Review of advanced road materials, structures, equipment, and detection technologies

As a vital and integral component of transportation infrastructure,pavement has a direct and tangible impact on socio-economic sustainability.In recent years,an influx of groundbreaking and state-of-the-art materials,structures,equipment,and detection technologies related to road engineering have continually and progressively emerged,reshaping the landscape of pavement systems.There is a pressing and growing need for a timely summarization of the current research status and a clear identification of future research directions in these advanced and evolving technologies.Therefore,Journal of Road Engineering has undertaken the significant initiative of introducing a comprehensive review paper with the overarching theme of“advanced road materials,structures,equipment,and detection technologies”.This extensive and insightful review meticulously gathers and synthesizes research findings from 39 distinguished scholars,all of whom are affiliated with 19 renowned universities or research institutions specializing in the diverse and multidimensional field of highway engineering.It covers the current state and anticipates future development directions in the four major and interconnected domains of road engineering:advanced road materials,advanced road structures and performance evaluation,advanced road construction equipment and technology,and advanced road detection and assessment technologies.

Numerical determination for optimal location of sub-track asphalt layer in high-speed rails

Well-graded asphalt mix with the merits of high sound absorption, low water permeability, excellent strength, and easy construction is an important option for high-speed railway substructures. On the basis of finite element method, a model with conventional ballasted trackbed （To） and four ballasted trackbeds models with different positions of asphalt layer were analyzed, in which 15 cm thick asphalt layer was used to replace the different sub-track layers, the bottom and the top of upper subgrade and of ballasted trackbed, named as Tb T2, T3, and T4, respectively. The results showed that the range of peak vertical accelerations on the top of subgrade surface of T2 and T4 were smaller than T1 and T3; T1 and T2 perform better in decreasing the maximum vertical deformation of subgrade than T3 and T4; the maximum transversal tensile strain of T4 is almost twice than the other three. The trackbed bears more stress when the asphalt layer is located at the lower part of railway trackbed.

Theoretical analysis on ground vibration attenuation using sub-track asphalt layer in high-speed rails

Using a finite element method （FEM） program, a Portland cement concrete slab trackbed （So）, and a sub- track asphalt roadbed （RAC-S） were modeled under high- speed train loads to analyze their responses to ground vibration attenuation, by considering 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 thick sub-track asphalt layer replaced on the top of the upper subgrade. FEM results show that the vibration amplitude of RAC-S is at least three times lower than the vibration for So. The maximum vibration amplitude of RAC-S is linearly increased with train speed. The vertical acceleration is found to be reduced by more than 10 % when the asphalt layer thickness is increased from 10 to 20 cm. However, the reduction in vertical acceleration is only about 1% when the thickness of the asphalt layer changes from 20 to 30 cm. The vibration level is slightly lower if the asphalt layer has higher resilient modulus in the seasons of autumn or winter. This theoretical analysis indicates that a railway substructure that consists of a 10-20 cm thick high modulus asphalt layer located at the top of trackbed shows a good performance in ground vibration control for high-speed rails.

Toughness improvement mechanism and evaluation of cement concrete for road pavement:A review

Traditional cement concrete has the disadvantages of low tensile strength,poor toughness,and rapid development of cracks while cracking,which causes a significantly negative influence on the safety and durability of concrete road pavement.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of toughness improvement mechanisms and evaluation methods of cement concrete for road pavement.The review indicates that(i)The performance of concrete material depends on its material composition and internal structure.Aggregate size,cement properties and admixtures are the main factors of concrete toughness.(ii)The incorporation of rubber or fiber in pavement concrete improves the toughness of concrete materials.However,these additions must be maintained within a reasonable range.The amount of rubber and fiber are encouraged not more than 30%of the volume of fine aggregate and 2%of the volume of concrete,respectively.(iii)The toughness of pavement concrete material includes the toughness regarding bending,impact and fracture.The toughness of cement concrete for highway and municipal pavement is generally evaluated by bending and fracture toughness,while the toughness of airfield pavement concrete is more focused on impact toughness.(iv)The toughening measures of cement concrete for road pavement are mainly mixed with rubber or fiber,while these two materials have their defects,and the application of hightoughness cement concrete in the actual road still faces many challenges.For example,the synergistic effect of rubber and fiber,the development and application of new flexible admixtures,and the formulation of the toughness index of pavement cement concrete materials need further research.

Precast system and assembly connection of cement concrete slabs for road pavement: A review

Prefabricated pavement is increasingly applied worldwide due to the rapid construction on-site.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the precast systems and assembly connection of concrete slabs,as well as the precast pavement features.The previous research indicates that:(1)both super-slab and Michigan systems are recommended with the satisfied road performance close to the cast-in-place;(2)flexible base material is suggested for the fabricated pavement for the satisfied leveling and stress distribution;(3)to prevent the voiding phenomenon of the fabricated pavement,the sand cushion course,dry mixed mortar or self-leveling mortar,and other flowable materials could be used for the secondary leveling of the base after the pavement splicing;(4)two-direction dowel bars are recommended for slab connections of the fabricated pavement,which helps to improve the load transfer capacity of the joints and enhance the durability of the fabricated pavement structure;(5)the sealing treatment of precast slab joints needs strengthening to reduce the impact of surface runoff on the base course;(6)the further research focuses are designing with functional,composite,mechanized,intelligent,lightweight,and flexible pavement slabs.Besides,pavement mechanical properties induced by temperature overlapping traffic loads need to be revealed.