INVESTIGATION OF INNER SHEAR RESISTANCE OF GEOGRIDS BUILT UNDER GRANULAR PROTECTION LAYERS AND RAILWAY BALLAST

• Main Author: Sz. Fischer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dnipro National University of Railway Transport named after Academician V. Lazaryan 2015-10-01
• Series: Nauka ta progres transportu
• Subjects: railway ballast; geogrid reinforcement; granular protection layers; multi-level shear box tests; inner shear resistance
• Online Access: http://stp.diit.edu.ua/article/view/53169/51847

Purpose. Using adequate granular materials and layer structures in the railway super- and substructure is able to stabilise railway track geometry. For this purpose special behaviour of above materials has to be determined, e.g. inner shear resistance. Inner shear resistance of granular media with and without geogrid reinforcement in different depths is not known yet. Methodology. The author developed a special laboratory method to measure and define inner shear resistance of granular materials, it is called «multi-level shear box test». This method is adequate to determine inner shear resistance (pushing force) vs. depth (distance from the «zero» surface). Two different granular materials: andesite railway ballast (31.5/63 mm) and andesite railway protection layer material (0/56 mm), and seven different types of geogrids (GG1…GG7) were used during the tests. Findings. Values of inner shear resistance functions of andesite railway ballast without geogrid reinforcement and reinforced with different types of geogrids and andesite granular protection layer in function of the vertical distance from the geogrid plane were determined with multi-layer shear box tests when the material aggregation is uncompacted and compacted. Only the compacted sample was tested in case of the 0/56 mm protection layer. Cubic polynomial regression functions fitted on the mean values of the measurements are described graphically. Determination coefficients with values of R2>0.97 were resulted in all the cases of regression functions. Based on the polynomial regression functions fitted on the mean values of the test results, three increasing factors were determined in function of the distance measured from the geogrid. Increasing factor «A», «B» and «D». Originality. Multi-level shear box test, developed by the author, is certified unequivocally adequate for determining inner shear resistance of reinforced and unreinforced granular materials, e.g. railway ballast, protection layer. Practical value. The paper formulated the requirements of using geogrid-reinforced railway ballast and protection layer material to stabilise railway track geometry, e.g. dewatering, draining, separation, minimum ballast depth, and suggested geogrid types from investigated ones.