2012 Volume 68 Issue 1 Pages 78-91
In this study, firstly in order to make a verification of appropriateness of an advanced buckling analysis program based on the elasto-plastic and finite displacement analysis which the authors have developed, the results obtained by this program were compared with the results from CWERRI and CWR-BUCKLE which have been developed in Europe and in U.S.A. respectively, and also compared with the results of actual track buckling tests. Secondarily the authors carried out a buckling analysis of a ballasted track equipped with continuous welded rails, using parameters such as lateral resistance of ballast, initial track misalignments, track curvature, etc., and clarified the influence of these parameters on the rail temperature increase from the neutral temperature corresponding to the minimum possible buckling resisting strength which is the important index in evaluating the track buckling. Thirdly the authors proposed the lower critical value of lateral peak resistance of ballast to prevent track buckling according to the track curvature, on the condition that the rail temperature increase from the neutral temperature is set to 35°C and also to 42°C (considering the margin of 20% for 35°C which is the sum of the critical temperature rise and the rail neutral temperature).
