Numerical simulation of embankment—structure transition design

Abstract

The experience of several European railway systems has shown that problems occur frequently in zones with embankment—structure transitions, and these areas therefore require repeated maintenance. To date, no adequate solution for these zones has been demonstrated, and different European railway systems have adopted different design approaches. In this work, a finite-element model is developed to simulate the behaviour of embankment—structure transitions to improve the methods available for modelling railway track designs. The most distinctive characteristic of the model proposed here is its attempt to simulate the real behaviour of the diverse materials that make up the structure of the track in a transition. To achieve this, a three-dimensional model with boundary conditions that more closely resemble real conditions was used; the model assumes that the surface defining the embankment slope is free and it takes into account the elastoplastic behaviour of the soil. This model was tested by numerical calculations of several case studies created from different values of geotechnical and geometrical parameters of transition zones. The results from this analysis will help to define new criteria for improving the design of embankment—structure transitions.