Discrete element modelling of railway ballast problems: an overview
Discrete element modelling of railway ballast problems: an overview
Ballast made up of discrete granular particles of rock is a principal component of railway tracks. This review paper focuses on using Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) for modelling ballast in railway track systems. It provides a comprehensive overview of past, present, and future challenges and developments in this area of research. The review discusses the various analysis principles used in DEM, including contact mechanics, representation of particle geometry, breakage and abrasion, and inclusions such as geosynthetics, fibres and rubber elements. It also describes the numerical interfaces between DEM and other analysis types (e.g., finite element modelling, multi-body dynamic, computational fluid dynamics, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics) that have been implemented to simulate ballasted railway-related problems, such as the subgrade modelled as a continuum and sleepers, and fluid and mechanical interactions, such as water washout, ballast flight, and track maintenance machines. Finally, the review outlines future challenges and directions for numerical analyses of ballasted railways.
DEM, railway ballast, numerical modelling
2149-2185
Aela, Peyman
2bb965bd-9151-47ca-bd5b-a62ba6be4efa
Powrie, William
600c3f02-00f8-4486-ae4b-b4fc8ec77c3c
Harkness, John
026f02e8-41d9-403f-83be-0d880058ecf1
Jing, Guoqing
729e2b68-9fa3-4a6e-a3ba-1ef5ed419d04
Aela, Peyman
2bb965bd-9151-47ca-bd5b-a62ba6be4efa
Powrie, William
600c3f02-00f8-4486-ae4b-b4fc8ec77c3c
Harkness, John
026f02e8-41d9-403f-83be-0d880058ecf1
Jing, Guoqing
729e2b68-9fa3-4a6e-a3ba-1ef5ed419d04
Aela, Peyman, Powrie, William, Harkness, John and Jing, Guoqing
(2024)
Discrete element modelling of railway ballast problems: an overview.
Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 32, .
(doi:10.1007/s11831-024-10203-6).
Abstract
Ballast made up of discrete granular particles of rock is a principal component of railway tracks. This review paper focuses on using Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) for modelling ballast in railway track systems. It provides a comprehensive overview of past, present, and future challenges and developments in this area of research. The review discusses the various analysis principles used in DEM, including contact mechanics, representation of particle geometry, breakage and abrasion, and inclusions such as geosynthetics, fibres and rubber elements. It also describes the numerical interfaces between DEM and other analysis types (e.g., finite element modelling, multi-body dynamic, computational fluid dynamics, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics) that have been implemented to simulate ballasted railway-related problems, such as the subgrade modelled as a continuum and sleepers, and fluid and mechanical interactions, such as water washout, ballast flight, and track maintenance machines. Finally, the review outlines future challenges and directions for numerical analyses of ballasted railways.
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Accepted/In Press date: 4 November 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 December 2024
Keywords:
DEM, railway ballast, numerical modelling
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Local EPrints ID: 504436
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/504436
ISSN: 1886-1784
PURE UUID: 33a70560-6bcf-4352-8fb3-86e7f84271ba
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Date deposited: 09 Sep 2025 17:56
Last modified: 10 Sep 2025 04:37
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Author:
Peyman Aela
Author:
Guoqing Jing
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