Steenbergen M., Metrikine A.

The slab-track system is a relatively new railway track system, but is applied nowadays worldwide on a rapidly increasing scale. The development of slab-track, with applications especially on soft soil in combination with loading by high-speed trains puts several specific engineering questions. One of these questions is how to provide the required stiffness of the track system. Generally, two approaches are possible: the first, which is the most common approach and originates from road engineering, consists of applying massive soil improvements, leading to high initial investment costs. A second, less expensive solution consists of increasing the bending stiffness of the slab itself, e.g. by application of eccentric reinforcement. Both solutions have consequences for the dynamic track response, but also other aspects play a role, like the effect on the level of vibration emission and environmental vibrations. In this contribution, the question of the track stiffness is addressed from a dynamic point of view. The model of a beam on a half-space is used, accounting for wave propagation in the soil due to running trains, which is essential for high train velocities.