Experimental and numerical assessment of the lateral resistance of ballasted railway track equipped with mid-winged sleeper

In order to reduce the possibility of buckling problems related to the railway ballasted tracks, necessary measurements should be applied to improve the lateral resistance of tracks. There are different procedures for increasing the lateral force resistance of railway tracks that can be implemented using different materials to change the size, geometry, and dimensions of track components, especially sleepers. Although several studies have been conducted on winged sleepers, the present study investigates the application of mid-winged sleepers with a modified geometry and a dimension in the form of a novel approach. In this regard, several experimental tests and numerical modeling were conducted on the lateral resistance of conventional and mid-winged sleepers. To this end, single sleeper experiment for lateral resistance of the track panel, consisting of five sleepers, was carried out. The lateral force resistance of tracks was measured through the track panel loading and single sleeper push tests. The results revealed that by changing the conventional track to the mid-winged track, the lateral force resistance would considerably increase. The mid-winged panel tests, single mid-winged sleeper tests, and numerical modeling pointed to a 58%{64% increase in the lateral force resistance of mid-wing track, compared to the conventional tracks.