Experimental characterization of track ballast under triple-fouling condition: Evidence from selected Nigerian Railways

Abstract

This study assessed the aggregate properties that influence track ballast performance along selected Nigerian railway lines. Ballast materials from five selected rail tracks (RT1, RT2, RT3, RT4, and RT5) in Nigeria were collected and assessed in present conditions and after triple-fouling (subjected to degradation, clay, and diesel intrusion). Tests performed include gradation, strength, soundness, and drain-ability tests. Results obtained were compared with the requirements established in five recognized railway ballast standards,where applicable. Initial gradation results indicate that presently, ballast materials from the selected study locations can all be classified as "uniformly graded gravel". However, upon triplefouling, a gradation shift towards the "well graded" classification was observed. Based on EN 13,450, the gradations of RT1, RT2, and RT3 ballast materials were more satisfactory than gradations of RT4 and RT5. Strength test results show that ballast materials from tracks RT1, RT2, and RT3 performed satisfactorily based on the five ballast standards considered. RT4 and RT5 on the other hand, only performed suitably based on the AREMA No. 4 ballast standard. The least resistance to weathering was observed in the RT4 and RT5 samples. Initial drain-ability test

Determining the Deformation Characteristics of Railway Ballast by Mathematical Modeling of Elastic Wave Propagation

“…The diversity and complexity of issues related to the use of ballast in railway tracks explain the large number of scientific studies dedicated to this topic. Several modern publications provide detailed reviews of literature sources on this issue, such as in [1,2]. These studies aim to explain the mechanisms of ballast contamination and identify the main factors influencing this process based on an analysis of existing literature sources.…”

“…Experimental studies have investigated the effects of particle destruction, clay and diesel pollutant infiltration, and the impact of moving trains on the ballast state in papers such as [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. The impact of moving trains becomes particularly relevant when transporting bulk cargoes such as coal and grain [9], as well as with high values of axle loads [10,11].…”