Progressive failure analysis of partially pre-stressed concrete railway sleepers

Year 2022, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 16 - 28, 15.07.2022

Ferhat Çeçen , Bekir Aktaş

https://doi.org/10.53635/jit.1112773

Abstract

Billions of sleepers are used on railways around the world today. As the importance of railways in the transportation sector is increasing, the demand for sleepers is also increasing. Although wooden and steel sleepers were used in rail systems in the past, today the most widely used sleeper type in the world is reinforced concrete sleepers. Among these reinforced concrete sleepers, pre-stressed sleepers are the most widely used, popular type of sleeper that can be produced in many countries. The two main production methods of pre-stressed sleepers are the ribbed reinforced system and the non-ribbed reinforced anchor plated system. In this study, B70 type pre-stressed concrete sleepers, have been investigated with the positive moment determination tests at the rail seat with progressive failure observations according to EN 13230-2:2016 standard. After tests, detailed cracking, failure, and fatigue analyzes under increasing test loads were performed with ANSYS® finite element analysis results for both types of pre-stressed sleepers. According to results, A-type sleepers have 50% more compression stress at the first crack formation load (Frr) than N-type sleepers and According to the first 0.05 mm permanent crack formation load (Fr0.05), it is seen that 25% higher stresses occur in A-type design than N-type design under Fr0.05 load. The results obtained through the analysis have been compared with the actual field measurement results, which have become more and more popular in the world in recent years. In this direction, various suggestions have been made for the development of concrete railway sleeper models.

Keywords

Concrete Sleeper, prestressed concrete, cracking mechanics, ANSYS

References

• Çeçen F. & Aktaş B. (2021). New Generation Railway Sleepers and Experimental Research of Domestic FRP Reinforcement Use (in Turkish). Railway Engineering (13), 53-64. https://doi.org/10.47072/demiryolu.803452
• Taherinezhad, J., Sofi, M., Mendis, P., & Ngo, T. (2017). Strain rates in prestressed concrete sleepers and effects on cracking loads. Electronic Journal of Structural Engineering, 17, 65-75. https://ejsei.com/EJSE/article/view/220
• Derkowski, W., Słyś, B., & Szmit, M. (2014). Effect Of Strands'anchorage System In PC Railway Sleepers On Behaviour Of Its Rail Seat Zone–Experimental Research.. 8th International Conference of AMCM, 16-18 June, Wroclaw, Poland, 101-108. https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.baztech-86d049c1-10f0-4aa2-bd38-9ad624eb5722
• Özcan A. İ., Özden B., Ölçer B. & Gamlı F. D. (2018). Betonarme Traverslerin Gelişimi. Demiryolu Mühendisliği Dergisi, 18 (2), 40-44. Available: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/demiryolu/issue/35609/448512
• Thürlimann B. (1968). Partially Pre-stressed Members. International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) Congress, 9-14 September, New York, 474-487. http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-8717
• The American Concrete Institute-ASCE Committee 423, State-Of-The-Art Report on Partially Pre-stressed Concrete: ACI 423.5R-99. http://civilwares.free.fr/ACI/MCP04/4235r_99.pdf
• Anonymous, EN 13230-1/2 Standard. 2016. Railway applications, Track, Concrete sleepers and bearers, General requirements/ Pre-stressed Monoblock sleepers. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
• You, R., & Kaewunruen, S. (2019). Evaluation of remaining fatigue life of concrete sleeper based on field loading conditions. Engineering Failure Analysis, 105, 70-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.06.086
• Çeçen F. (2019). New railway concrete sleeper research about using carbon fiber reinforced polymer rebars with non-pre-stressed and mono-block process, (in Turkish). Master Thesis. Gaziosmanpaşa University. 156s, Tokat. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344163677
• Jokūbaitis, A., Marčiukaitis, G., & Valivonis, J. (2016). Influence of technological and environmental factors on the behaviour of the reinforcement anchorage zone of prestressed concrete sleepers. Construction and building materials, 121, 507-518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.06.025
• Bezgin N. Ö., (2016). Stresses developed by the vertical forces acting on ballasted railway tracks. 16. Geotechnical Engineering Congress. 13-14 October. Erzurum, 1-10.
• Çelik M. S. (2015). A Multifaced Analysis of Railway Sleepers and Scrutinize of Different Railway Sleepers on An Example Line (in Turkish). Master Thesis. Istanbul Technical University. 103s, İstanbul.
• Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Applied Mechanics, Index of /~gyebro/files/ans_help_v182. Accessed: 30.10.2020. [Online].https://www.mm.bme.hu/~gyebro/files/ans_help_v182/ans_elem/Hlp_E_SOLID186.html
• Wolanski A. J. (2004). Flexural behavior of reinforced and pre-stressed concrete beams using finite element analysis. Marquette University, Master of Science Thesis, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Shayanfar, M. A., Kheyroddin, A., & Mirza, M. S. (1997). Element size effects in nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete members. Computers & structures, 62(2), 339-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-7949(96)00007-7
• Ovalı İ. (2018). Ansys Workbench. 3. Edition. İstanbul. ISBN 978-605-9118-89-7.
• Hammad, M. R. (2015). Non-linear Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened with Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Technique. The Islamic University of Gaza, Civil Engineering Department, Master of Science Thesis, 98s, 2015.
• Anonymous, 2002. EN 206-1: Concrete- Part 1: Specification, performance, production and conformity. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
• Anonymous, 2000. TS 500: Requirements for design and construction of reinforced concrete structures. (in Turkish). Turkish Standards Institution, Ankara.
• Dalgıç K. D. (2010). Axial Compressive Behaviour And Finite Element Analysis of Low Strength Concrete Confined by Low Modulus Glass Fibre Polymer (in Turkish), Master Thesis. Istanbul Technical University. 81s, İstanbul.
• Giannakos, K. (2008). Damage of railway sleepers under dynamic loads: a case history from the Greek railway network. Missouri University of Science and Technology, Virginia, 1-11, http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/6icchge/session08c/5