Dynamic analysis of the track structure of a high-speed railway using finite elements

In this paper, a three-dimensional model for analysing track structure is developed by means of a finite element method, in which rails, ties, rail clips and pads, ballast and roadbed are considered as a whole system. The action of the locomotive and rolling stock on a track is obtained using a wheelset model. In the wheelset model, only sprung mass is considered and the weight of the locomotive or rolling stock is assumed to be uniformly distributed to each wheelset. The track structure is treated as a double elastic beam. The three-dimensional analysis of the track structure of a high-speed railway is performed by first using the wheelset model to derive the load spectrum varying with the time and acting on the ties. The load spectrum is then entered as input data into the model for three-dimensional analysis of the track structure. Finally, analyses of the dynamic response of the track structure to high-speed trains (TGV) at different speeds are performed.