A Review on the Selection of Materials and Mechanical Properties of Railroad Under-Rail Pads

The railroad has become the main pillar of the transportation industry, and the under-rail pads have a cushioning and vibration-damping effect so that the train is safe on the track. The common production materials of under-rail pads are rubber, TPU, HDPE, and EVA and rubber materials can be divided into traditional thermosetting rubber, TPE, and EPDM. Scholars also use a lot of special materials to make the under-rail pads. The different materials used to manufacture under-rail pads make their mechanical properties different. Over the past decades, scholars have never stopped researching the materials used in railroad under rail pads. This paper summarizes the research of scholars in various countries on the materials used for under-rail pads, as well as their mechanical properties and material characteristics. It puts forward suggestions and prospects for the material research of under-rail pads, which can provide references and bases for the subsequent related research.