OUTLOOK FOR BALASTLESS TRACK
The author defines rational spheres of the use of ballastless track, its advantages and disadvantages. Analysis of calculations results and of dynamics features has allowed to substantiate the increasing level of requirements concerning construction and maintenance of the geometry of the ballastless track. The author argues in favor of reducing of the stiffness of the track in necessary cases and proposes engineering techniques to achieve it. He determines criteria limiting the interoperation of force, necessary to design the sections with interface of the sectors with different stiffness. The article describes different approaches to the choice of numerical values of parameters of balastless track and transitional sectors of variable stiffness. The conclusions allow to impartially assess the outlook for balastless technology for the network of high speed railways. Key words: railway, artificial structures, balastless track, optimal stiffness of the track, limiting criteria, impact of the forces, track for high speed trains, operation safety. REFERENCES 1. Zamuhovskiy A. V., Kopylenko V. A., Fridkin V. M. On technical and economical practicability of railway platforms instead of high embankments [O tehniko-ekonomicheskoy tselesoobraznosti primeneniya zheleznodorozhnyh estakad vmesto vysokih nasypey]. Transportnoe stroitel’stvo, 2012, No10, pp. 15–16. 2. Instruction on the construction of under ballast protective layers during reconstruction (modernization) of rail track. [Instruktsiya po ustroystvu podballastnyh zaschitnyh sloev pri rekonstruktsii (modernizatsii) zheleznodorozhnogo puti]. JSC Regulation of 12.12.2012 № 2544r. 3. Kamenskiy V. B. Trends of improvement of track facilities [Napravleniya sovershenstvovaniya sistemy vedeniya putevogo hozyaystva]. Moscow, NIITKD, 2009, 392 p. 4. Instruction on evaluation of the track conditions [Instruktsiya po rasshifrovke lent i otsenke sostoyaniya rel’sovoy kolei po pokazaniyam puteizmeritel’nogo vagona TsNII-2 i meram po obespecheniyu bezopasnosti dvizheniya poezdov]. Russian Ministry of railways regulations, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003. 5. Methods of evaluation of the impact of rolling stock on the track from the safety aspect [Metodika otsenki vozdeystviya podvizhnogo sostava na put» po usloviyam obespecheniya nadezhnosti / TsPT-52–14] approved 15.06.2000. 6. Report on the research «Technical decisions for reducing of deformations of the under sleepers basement on the railways with circulation of the trains of increased weight and length» [Otchet o NIOKR «Razrabotka tehnicheskih resheniy po snizheniyu deformativnosti podshpal’nogo osnovaniya na marshrutah obrascheniya poezdov povyshennoy massy i dliny»]. Research leader E. S. Ashpiz. Moscow, MIIT, 2008. 7. Guidebook on the use of polymeric materials (foam plastics, geotextiles, geogrids, drain-pipes) for reinforcement of embankments during track repairs. Approved by Russian ministry of railways on the 19.12.2001 [Rukovodstvo po primeneniyu polimernyh materialov (penoplastov, geotekstiley, georeshetok, polimernyh drenazhnyh trub) dlya usileniya zemlyanogo polotna pri remontah puti].