Title: Effect of moving sand as a ballast contaminant on rail corrugation: field experience

Authors: W.R. Tyfour

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan

Abstract: Research work on rail corrugation phenomena is mostly focused at trying to explain the mechanism by which these corrugations are formed and to some extent, the environmental consequences represented by the noise of trains passing corrugated sections of track. In this work, it is the effect of environment as a corrugation catalyst that is studied. In certain countries of the Middle East, sections of some railway lines pass through dry desert areas where the dominant sand storms keep fine sand particles in continuous motion. The work presented in this paper describes rail table corrugation phenomena observed in sections of Aqaba Railway Company track in light of the effect of moving sand as a ballast contaminant. Sand fine particles hinder the motion of ballast gravels by filling the voids between these gravels to result in increased track stiffness and damping.

Keywords: rail corrugation; ballast contamination; moving sand; permanent way environment; train noise; railways; corrugated track sections; rail track; Middle East; railway lines; desert areas; sand storms; fine sand particles; continuous motion; track stiffness; track damping.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2014.057836

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014 Vol.6 No.1, pp.15 - 28

Received: 09 Sep 2011
Accepted: 01 May 2012
Published online: 30 May 2014 *

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