A Critical Review on the Performance of Pile-Supported Rail Embankments under Cyclic Loading: Numerical Modeling Approach

Searching for economical and practical solutions to increase any transport substructure’s protection and stability is critical for ensuring the long-term viability and adequate load-bearing capacity. Piles are increasingly being used as an economical and environmentally sustainable solution to enhance the strength of soft subgrade soils on which embankments are raised. As per the available literature, there are two main strategies used to explain railway embankments’ performance: experimental approaches and numerical simulations on a broad scale. The purpose of this study is to examine the state-of-the-art literature on numerical modeling methods adopted to assess the performance of pile-supported rail embankments subjected to cyclic loading. The paper addresses the main results from various numerical methods to explain the appropriate mechanisms associated with the load deformation response. It also presents the key issues and drawbacks of these numerical methods concerning rail embankment development while outlining the specific shortcomings and research gaps relevant to enhanced future design and analysis.