scholarly journals A geomechanics classification for the rating of railroad subgrade performance

Author(s):  
António Gomes Correia ◽  
Ana Ramos

AbstractThe type of subgrade of a railroad foundation is vital to the overall performance of the track structure. With the train speed and tonnage increase, as well as environmental changes, the evaluation and influence of subgrade are even more paramount in the railroad track structure performance. A geomechanics classification for subgrade is proposed coupling the stiffness (resilient modulus) and permanent deformation behaviour evaluated by means of repeated triaxial loading tests. This classification covers from fine- to coarse-grained soils, grouped by UIC and ASTM. For this achievement, we first summarize the main models for estimating resilient modulus and permanent deformation, including the evaluation of their robustness and their sensitivity to mechanical and environmental parameters. This is followed by the procedure required to arrive at the geomechanical classification and rating, as well as a discussion of the influence of environmental factors. This work is the first attempt to obtain a new geomechanical classification that can be a useful tool in the evaluation and modelling of the foundation of railway structures.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3315
Author(s):  
Mansour Fakhri ◽  
Danial Arzjani ◽  
Pooyan Ayar ◽  
Maede Mottaghi ◽  
Nima Arzjani

The use of waste materials has been increasingly conceived as a sustainable alternative to conventional materials in the road construction industry, as concerns have arisen from the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources in recent years. Re-refined acidic sludge (RAS) obtained from a waste material—acidic sludge—is an alternative source for bitumen. This study’s primary purpose is to evaluate the resistance of warm mix asphalt (WMA) mixtures containing RAS and a polymeric additive against moisture damage and rutting. The modified bitumen studied in this research is a mixture of virgin bitumen 60/70, RAS (10, 20, and 30%), and amorphous poly alpha olefin (APAO) polymer. To this end, Marshall test, moisture susceptibility tests (i.e., tensile strength ratio (TSR), residual Marshall, and Texas boiling water), resilient modulus, and rutting assessment tests (i.e., dynamic creep, Marshall quotient, and Kim) were carried out. The results showed superior values for modified mixtures compared to the control mix considering the Marshall test. Moreover, the probability of a reduction in mixes’ moisture damage was proved by moisture sensitivity tests. The results showed that modified mixtures could improve asphalt mixtures’ permanent deformation resistance and its resilience modulus. Asphalt mixtures containing 20% RAS (substitute for bitumen) showed a better performance in all the experiments among the samples tested.


2019 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norfazira Mohd Azahar ◽  
Norhidayah Abdul Hassan ◽  
Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya ◽  
Hasanan Md. Nor ◽  
Mohd Khairul Idham Mohd Satar ◽  
...  

The use of cup lump rubber as an additive in asphalt binder has recently become the main interest of the paving industry. The innovation helps to increase the natural rubber consumption and stabilize the rubber price. This study evaluates the mechanical performance of cup lump rubber modified asphalt (CMA) mixture in terms of resilient modulus, dynamic creep and indirect tensile strength under aging conditions. The CMA mixture was prepared using dense-graded Marshall-designed mix and the observed behavior was compared with that of conventional mixture. From the results, both mixtures passed the volumetric properties as accordance to Malaysian Public Work Department (PWD) specification. The addition of cup lump rubber provides better resistance against permanent deformation through the enhanced properties of resilient modulus and dynamic creep. Furthermore, the resilient modulus of CMA mixture performed better under aging conditions.  


2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pascal Bilodeau ◽  
Guy Doré ◽  
Jonas Depatie

The use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates as replacement for new materials in the pavement base weakens the layer in regards to the resistance to permanent deformation under repeated loading. A mechanistic based design procedure is proposed to ensure that base layers containing RAP particles have a similar rutting behaviour to base layers made of virgin aggregates. The design procedure allows calculating an asphalt concrete thickness increase that is based on permanent deformation behaviour of base materials. The calculation approach is based on multistage triaxial permanent deformation tests performed on granular material samples with varied RAP content. The tests allowed proposing an equation that relates permanent strain rate, RAP content, and deviatoric stress, which is the basis of the design procedure. Design charts are proposed to select adequate thickness increase for the asphalt concrete layer according to the expected RAP content in the base layer and asphalt concrete modulus.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Teodora Moldovan ◽  
Ionut Cornel Mirea ◽  
Marius Kenesz

Carpathian Mountains were one of the main refuge areas during the climate changes of the Pleistocene and the Holocene in Europe and one of the richest regions in the world in subterranean (caves and associated habitats) endemic species. Nevertheless, the Carpathian Mountains subterranean fauna importance is underestimated especially due to dispersed information on its diversity and the scarcity of molecular studies in the area. Here, we present a first general view of the cave fauna hotspot represented by the Romanian Carpathians and the geological and historical processes that shaped the patterns of subterranean distribution and diversity at regional scale. The Carpathians are an amalgam of various geological units with complex paleogeographical evolution that is reflected in completely different species assemblages dominated by unit specific fauna groups. Phylogeography of Coleoptera and environmental parameters are adding to the general view at regional scale and offer additional explanation for this exceptional subterranean diversification in a non-Mediterranean region. We also use the example of the Carpathians cave fauna as proxy for past environmental changes in the area. Troglobionts are endemic on small areas and by studying their present distributions and phylogeny, past processes of landscape evolution on the surface can be better understood.


1993 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
D W Jones ◽  
R V O'Neill

This paper contains a study of the response of shifting agriculture to several social and environmental changes in circumstances in which farmers form in a relatively sophisticated manner their expectations of the future values of key economic variables. Farmers are ‘given’ a model of expectations formation in which the expected future value of variables interact in the same manner as in the current period. With this structure of expectations, the responses of the length of fallow period (the inverse of the percentage of available land cultivated in the initial period), the total area of land under cultivation and lying fallow in the initial period of a rotational cycle, and the initial-period wage rate and spatial structure of land rent to changes in several social and environmental parameters are examined. Several salient characteristics commonly attributed to shifting, or rotational, agriculture are replicated. Higher crop prices and increased population shorten fallow periods. Those same changes also increase the total area of land under shifting agriculture. Higher interest rates also shorten fallow periods. Fallows are longer at locations farther from central markets. Less commonly recognized is that social feedbacks operate to reduce pressure on more fragile land, although this does not imply that, other things being equal, fragile tropical land will not be ‘overused’ in an ecological sense.


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