fd&'Z - /7£ > US Department Mechanics of of Transportation raotrcii KOHroaa Administration Ballast Compaction Volume I: Technical Review of Ballast Compaction and Related Topics FRA/ORD-81/16.1 Rnal Report This document is available 4 D O T-TSC-FRA-81 -3, I M arch 1982 to the U.S. public through the National Technical E.T. Selig Information Service, T.S. Y o o Springfield, Virginia 22161 C.M. Panuccio 01-Track K Structures NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Govern­ ment assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. - NOTICE The United States Government does not endorse prod­ ucts or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are con­ sidered essential to the object of this report. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FRA/ORD-81/16.1 4« Title end Subfirl 5. Report Date MECHANICS OF BALLAST COMPACTION March 1982 b. PtWomiiig Organization Coda Volume 1: Technical Review of Ballast Compaction DTS-731 and Related Topics 3. Performing Organization Report No. 7. Author't) E.T.. Selig, T.S. Yoo and C.M. Panuccio DOT-TSC-FRA-81-3,I 9. Performing Organization Noma and Addroza 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Department of Civil Engineering* RR219/R2309 State University of New York at Buffalo 11. Contract or Grant No. Parker Engineering Building DOT-TSC-1115 Buffalo NY 14214 13. Typo of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agancy Noma and Address Final Report U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Jan 76-Sep 79 Office of Research and Development Id. Sponsoring Agancy Coda Washington DC 20590 RRD-1 IS. Supplementary Notes U.S * Department of Transportation Research and Special Programs Administration *Under contract to: Transportation Systems Center Cambridge MA 02142 16. Abstract The purpose of the research program on the mechanics of ballast compaction is to determine the influence of mechanical compaction on the ballast physical state and its consequence on the performance of the track structure. This report, which is one of a series for this project, presents the results of an extensive literature review on ballast compaction and related topics. The topics covered are the track system components, aggregate material characterization, mechanics of granular materials, compaction of granular materials, present practice of ballast related track construction and maintenance, relationship of ballast compaction to track performance, assessment of effects of compactor parameters, and economics of track maintenance. 17. K«y Words 18. Distribution Stafomont Ballast, compaction, properties, field DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL tests, laboratory tests, track, design, INFORMATION SERVICE, SPRINGFIELD, models, maintenance, performance, VIRGINIA 22161 economics 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. $«cunty Classif. (of this page) 21* No, of Pogas 2 2. P ric e Unclassified Unclassified 304 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Rap reduction of completed page authorised PREFACE This study was conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNYAB) for the Transportation Systems Center of the U. S. Department of Transportation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, supported by funds from the Federal Railroad Administration. This report is a critique of available information on analytical techniques, experimental laboratory and field investigations, and the economic considerations important to the behavior of compacted ballast materials. The work is part of a contract to evaluate ballast compaction and recommend guide­ lines for using compaction to improve track performance. The technical monitor was Andrew Sluz. The Principal Investigator for the study was Ernest T. Selig, Professor of Civil Engineering at SUNYAB. Compilation of the material described in this report was principally provided by Tai-Sung Yoo, Research Assistant Professor, and Carmen M. Panuccio, Research Engineer. The authors would like to extend their appreciation to 1) David Bums, Railroad Industrial Engineering Consultant and former Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Cost Consultant, 2) F. L. Peckover, Railroad Geo­ technical Consultant and former Geotechnical Engineer for the Canadian National Railways, 3) Stephen Brown, Senior Lecturer in Civil Engin­ eering, University of Nottingham, England, and 4) Warren B. Peterson, Assistant Chief Engineer, Maintenance of Way, for the Soo Line Railroad, each of whom reviewed the manuscript and offered valuable suggestions. Mr. Bums also added much of the information in Chapter IX on Economics of Track Maintenance. iii V METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS Appraiimil* Convariions Is Millie Masauias M 3 Syakai Wkaa Vaa Kaaw Malliaiy ky Ta fial tyaikal Syakll Wkaa Van Ki m Multiply k| Ta Ha* Syaikal - ; w* as m -i LENGTH 3 LENGTH millimetars 0.04 inches in S cm centimetere 0.4 inches In metere ).i last ft in inchoo •2.6 centimeters cm \ * «a meters 1.1 yards It foil 20 centimeters cm •a an V* km kilonelers 0.6 miles mi yd yards 0.9 meters' m I mi mil** 1.6 kilometers km —» AREA AREA a cm3 m - i square centimeters 6.16 square Inches ■ a* •quart Inches i.i atpiare centimeters cm3 •4us m? square metere 1.2 square yards ft® aquara last 0.09 square metere m® km® square kilometers 6.6 square miles mi3 * •quire yards 0.6 square metere • m* * he toclataa110.000 a? | 2.» acres mi* aquara milas 2.6 square kilometerskm3 - ■ Z •eras 0.4 hectares i he —X as m . * MASS (waiahll M A S S (waightl ■ 1 1 . a 9 grams 6.016 ounces as ox ounces 26 grams 0 —£ •4 kg kilograms 12 pounds lb lb pounds 0.45 kilograms fcfl t tonnes 11000 kg)1.1 short tone short tons 0.9 tonnes t • (2000 lb) * —r *4O VOLUME -= VOLUME milliliters ml ml aiilliliwa 0.03 fluid ouncaa fl 01 t«P teaspoons 6 i.li. Tbsp tablespoons 16 milliliters ml •a 1 lima 2.1 pints I* II os fluid ounces 30 milliliters ml u —— 1 liters i.o« quarts # c cups 0.24 liters 1 a liters 0.26 gallons 0*1 pi pints 0.47 liin. 1 m® cubic metere 36 cubic feet ft® 8 ■ “ m* cubic meters 1.3 cubic yards yd* Qt quarts 0.96 liters «a gal gallons 3.6 liters 8 _— It3 cubic lest 0.03 cubic maters m3 w u> y<*3 cubic yards 0.76 cubic meters m3 — z TEMPERATURE laxad1 T E M P E R A T U R E (aiact) i ♦ •c Celsius 9/6 (then Fahrenheit *F temperature add 32) temperature ■ i Fahrenheit 6/9 (after Celsius •c temperature subtracting temperature - •F 321 ** •F 32 966 212 —40 O 140 60 | 120 160 200 1 a k 0 t 1 •|m * 2.54 (eaacily). fi» ulhei e«»ci conversn»m» and mure derailed Tables. see NBS Misc. Publ. 286. t * r 1111 *i1" i r1 r 111 f i i Units ol Weiflhts and Measures. Puce 42.25, SD Caialug No. CI3.10:286. ** -40 -20 0 20 HO 60 60 tto f •c 97 C' "W ADDITIONAL CONVERSION FACTORS To Convert Units Symbol From To Multiply By Symbol length in. inches millimeters 25.4 0 mm ft feet meters 0.305 m miles miles kilometers 1.61 km yd yards meters 0.914 m area sq in. (in.^) square square 6.45 cm2 inches centimeters sq ft (ft2) square square 0.0929 m 2 . feet meters force lb pounds newtons 4.45 N kip kips kilonewtons 4. 45 kN ton ton(short) ton (metric) 0.907 t kg kilogram newtons 9.81 N kp kilopond newtons 9.81 N Mp megapond kilonewtons 9.81 kN pressure lb/sq in. pounds kilonewtons 6.89 kN/m' (psi) per per square square meter 2 inch kg/cm kilogram kilonewtons 98.07 kN/m" per square per square centimeter meter 2 3 volume cu ft (ft ) cubic cubic meters 0.03 m feet 3 3 cu yd (yd ) cubic cubic 0.765 m yard meter density lb/ft3 (pcf) pounds megagrams per 0.016 Mg/m' per cubic meter cubic feet v/vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1. ■ INTRODUCTION 1 2. TRACK SYSTEM 3 2=1 Description of Track Components ~ 3 2.2 Track System Response 11 2=3 Performance and Design of Track System 23 3. AGGREGATE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION 33 3.1 Gradation 34 3.2 Sphericity and Angularity 39 3; 3 Specific Gravity and Absorption 44 3.4 Reference Density and Void Ratio 46 3.5 Hardness and Toughness 48 3.6 Chemical Soundness 50 3; 7 Abrasion Resistance 52 3.8, Freeze-Thaw Characteristics . 5 4 3.9 Other Properties 56 3.10 Ballast Identification 60 4. MECHANICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS 62 4.1 Stress-Deformation and Strength Behavior 63 4.2 Static Laboratory Property Tests 80 4.3 Modeling Techniques 85 4. 4 . Field Methods 94 4.5 Dynamic Property Tests 98 5. COMPACTION OF GRANULAR MATERIALS -103 5.1 Laboratory Compaction Tests 104 vii Section Page 5.2 Vibratory Densification 110 5.3 Field Compaction 119 5.4 Ballast Compaction Considerations 125 6. PRESENT PRACTICE OF BALLAST RELATED TRACK CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE 129 o 6.1 Track Evaluation 130 6.2 Track Renewal 134 6.3 Rails and Ties 137 6.4 Ballast Cleaning 139 6.5 Ballast Distribution and Shaping 142 6. 6 Surfacing, Lining, and Tamping 143 6.7 Ballast Compaction 151 7. RELATIONSHIP OF BALLAST COMPACTION TO TRACK PERFORMANCE 158 7.1 Track Performance Measurement 158 7.2 Approach to Performance Prediction 168 7.3 Effects of Ballast Conditions on Performance 175 7.4 Crib Compaction Studies 181 7.5 Summary 209 8. ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS OF COMPACTOR PARAMETERS 213 8.1 Basic Parameters 213 8.2 Observed Effects 215 8.3 Conclusions 224 9.