A random form generator for ballast stones

Ballast form has a critical influence on the mechanical behavior of a ballasted track. To investigate this influence, discrete element method-based simulations are often performed, in which each ballast stone can be depicted differently. To this end, algorithms are often used to capture the form of ballast stones. In this paper, an algorithm-based random form generator for ballast stones is introduced. The generator uses geometrical specifications of ballast stones according to the European standards of ballast aggregations to quantify the form of a single ballast stone, as well as to generate ballast aggregation with the given form parameters. Five aggregations are created to examine the reliability of the generator. The result shows good performance of the generator, especially when a larger aggregation is to be created. The generator can be used for creating ballast aggregations with different form parameters, so that their impact on the mechanical behavior of ballasted tracks can be studied further in discrete element method simulations.