The performance of ballasted railway systems is commonly compromised by the infiltration of fine material into the voids of the ballast. This sand and finer grained materials in the ballast is known as fouling. Increased fouling can cause decreases in hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of the ballast, as well as reduce stiffness and resilient modulus of the overall track system. These problems can cause gradual deterioration of the track, which could eventually require maintenance. One of the largest source of fouling comes from ballast breakdown resulting from abrasion caused under repeated loading. This study aims to investigate the effects of fouling from ballast breakdown on the bearing capacity of the substructure that supports the rail superstructure. Previous investigations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst utilized large scale 10-inch (25.4 cm) diameter triaxial tests on granitic ballast with fouling from ballast breakdown. The tests were run with fouling contents of 0% (clean ballast), 15%, and 30% and at water contents varying from dry ballast to field capacity. Confining pressures of 5 psi (34.5 kPa), 10 psi (68.9 kPa) and 15 psi (103.4 kPa) were used in this series of tests. Using the results from these tests, the Mohr-Coulomb strength properties can be determined for each case. This study will make use of the strength properties obtained from the results of these tests and apply them using two commonly used bearing capacity analyses. The first model is the Meyerhof and Hanna Method which considers the track as a continuous footing over a layered system. This model considers two modes of failure; punching of an individual sleeper, and track system bearing. The second model applied is the slope stability method, which uses a two-dimensional limit equilibrium approach and the method of slices to determine a factor of safety against slope stability. This analysis is commonly performed using various software programs. In this study, SLOPE/W from the GeoStudio software package is utilized for analysis. The factors of safety resulting from the bearing capacity analysis using these two methods will be compared for each of the test configurations performed, which will help to confirm the results of the analyses. Since the Mohr-Coulomb strength properties change with the degree of fouling and the water content of the ballast, it is expected that this will have some effect on the bearing capacity of the track substructure. The results of these analyses showing the effects of water content and fouling of ballast on overall track substructure bearing capacity are presented in this paper.
New Slip Circle Method for Analysis of Slope Stability and Bearing Capacity
