DEM analysis of railway track lateral resistance

In this study, a sensitivity analysis of track lateral resistance using DEM was carried out on a number of concrete sleepers on a test track and the results of the Single Tie Push Test were simulated by the discreet element method implemented in PFC3D. By incremental loading of sleeper in STPT simulation, the obtained load-lateral displacement was compared with those obtained in field tests. Based on the good compatibility of the results, many sensitivity analyses were performed on ballast depth, ballast shoulder width, ballast shoulder height, inter particle friction of ballast material and ballast layer porosity (density).