Longitudinal Interaction between Welded Turnout on Continuous-Slab-Track and Bridge

Abstract

According to mechanical characteristics of welded turnout on continuous-slab-track and bridge, an integrated turnout/track slab/beam/pier finite element model was established to analyze the interaction between welded turnouts on continuous-slab-track and bridge. The study focused on No.18 turnout (60kg/m rail) with movable frog being laid on a (32+48+32) m continuous beam, expansion additional force and braking additional force of the turnout were calculated when the temperature dropped. The results show that the longitudinal interaction between welded turnouts on continuous-slab-track and bridge is small, which presents a reasonable structure type of welded turnout on bridge; in calculation of the expansion force, when the temperature drops, the shrinkage and creep of the base-slab and longitudinal stiffness reduction caused by the cracking are considered, so the results are more representative than those from the case of rising temperature. Therefore, the case of temperature dropping should be the main concern in design; under the action of the braking force, stress and deformation of each component within this turnout/bridge system are comparatively large.