Experimental and parametrical investigation of pre-stressed ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete railway sleepers

doi:10.1007/s11709-023-0928-3

Front. Struct. Civ. Eng.

2023, Vol. 17

Issue (3) : 411-428 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-023-0928-3

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Experimental and parametrical investigation of pre-stressed ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete railway sleepers

Sayed AHMED¹, Hossam ATEF²(

), Mohamed HUSAIN¹

¹. Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
². Track Work Department, National Authority for Tunnels, Cairo 11522, Egypt

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Abstract

In this study, ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) used in a type B70 concrete sleeper is investigated experimentally and parametrically. The main parameters investigated are the steel fiber volume fractions (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%). Under European standards, 35 UHPFRC sleepers are subjected to static bending tests at the center and rail seat sections, and the screw on the fastening system is pulled out. The first cracking load, failure load, failure mode, crack propagation, load–deflection curve, load–crack width, and failure load from these tests are measured and compared with those of a control sleeper manufactured using normal concrete C50. The accuracy of the parametric study is verified experimentally. Subsequently, the results of the study are applied to UHPFRC sleepers with different concrete volumes to investigate the effects of the properties of UHPFRC on their performance. Experimental and parametric study results show that the behavior of UHPFRC sleepers improves significantly when the amount of steel fiber in the mix is increased. Sleepers manufactured using UHPFRC with a steel fiber volume fraction of 1% and a concrete volume less than 25% that of standard sleeper B70 can be used under the same loads and requirements, which contributes positively to the cost and surrounding environment.

Keywords pre-stressed concrete sleeper ultrahigh performance fiber-reinforced concrete pull-out test static bending test steel fiber aspect ratio volume fraction

Corresponding Author(s): Hossam ATEF

Just Accepted Date: 11 January 2023 Online First Date: 23 April 2023 Issue Date: 24 May 2023

Cite this article:

Sayed AHMED,Hossam ATEF,Mohamed HUSAIN. Experimental and parametrical investigation of pre-stressed ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete railway sleepers[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2023, 17(3): 411-428.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fsce/EN/10.1007/s11709-023-0928-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fsce/EN/Y2023/V17/I3/411

Fig.1 Components of ballast track.

Fig.2 Schematic illustration of B70 concrete sleeper design (unit: mm): (a) top view; (b) front view.

Tab.1 Data of material used and mixed design

Fig.3 Steel fiber with an aspect ratio of 50: (a) end hooked; (b) corrugated.

Fig.4 (a) Mold; (b) casting using a vibrator.

Fig.5 Compressive strength of concrete at 7 and 28 d.

Tab.2 Performance criteria of UHPFRC sleepers

Fig.6 Test setup at rail seat section.

Fig.7 Loading protocol for bending test at rail seat section.

Tab.3 Static test results for S0, S0.5, S1, and S1.5 UHPFRC sleeper specimens at rail seat section

Fig.8 Relationship between average deflection and applied load at rail seat section.

Fig.9 Relationship between applied load on rail seat section and crack width.

Fig.10 Typical failure modes at rail seat sections for concrete sleepers: (a) shear and compression failure; (b) flexural-shear failure with wire removed from its original position; (c) flexural-shear failure.

Fig.11 Test setup at center section.

Fig.12 Test process at center section.

Tab.4 Static test result at the center sections for S0, S0.5, S1, and S1.5 UHPFRC sleeper specimens

Fig.13 Relationship between average deflection and applied load at center section.

Fig.14 Relationship between average applied load at center section and crack width.

Fig.15 Typical failure modes at center section for concrete sleepers. (a) Flexural-shear cracking with bond splitting along the strand; (b) concrete crushing with flexural-shear cracking; (c) failure caused by flexural tension.

Fig.16 Screw and plastic dowel.

Fig.17 Pull-out test setup.

Tab.5 Pull-out test results for S0, S0.5, S1, and S1.5 UHPFRC sleeper specimens

Fig.18 Average vertical load vs. displacement.

Fig.19 Pull-out test failure. (a) Concrete crushing; (b) failure caused by getting out the plastic dowels.

index	steps of calculation
compression block area	$A c = b c a$ , $a = a 1 c$ , $a 1 = 0.8, 0.65$
pre-stressing wire	$E p = 205 G P a$ , $A p = 69.4 m m 2$
	$f p y = 1460 M P a$ , $f p u = 1620 M P a$ , $? p e = f p e / E p = 0.006193$
	$f p e = f p y / ? p s = 1270 M P a$ , $? p s = 1.15$
steel fiber	$E s = 200 G P a$ , $? = 50 m m$ , $d f = 1 m m$ , $v f = 0, 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %$ , $F b e = 1.2$
c	assumed for (C = $∑ T n$ )
e	$e = [? s + 0.003] c / 0.003$
tensile block area	$A t = b t (h ? e)$
compressive forces	$C = 0.85 f c u A c$
the nominal moment, $M n$	$∑ T n ? Z n$
the design moment, $M d$	$M d r +$ = 13 kN?m , $M d c ?$ = 10 kN?m
the condition	$? M n ? ? M d$

Tab.6 Calculation for the nominal moment

Fig.20 Cross sections at the rail seat and the center sections.

Fig.21 Stress distribution assumptions at the rail seat and the center sections.

sleeper series	rail seat section					center section
sleeper series	$M n$	$? M n$	$M d r +$	$? M d r +$	safety factor	$M n$	$? M n$	$M d c ?$	$? M d c ?$	safety factor
SN	51.5	43.8	13	24.1	1.82	26.3	22.3	10	18.5	1.21
S0	69.4	59.0	–	–	2.45	36.4	31.0	–	–	1.67
S0.5	73.3	62.3	–	–	2.59	39.1	33.2	–	–	1.79
S1	77.3	65.7	–	–	2.73	41.9	35.6	–	–	1.92
S1.5	80.9	68.8	–	–	2.86	44.4	37.7	–	–	2.04

Tab.7 Safety factor of concrete sleepers with different concrete mixes

sleeper series	$A v . F r B (E x p .)$	$F r B (C a l .)$	$F c B (R e f .)$	$F c B (E x p .) / F c B (C a l .)$	$F c B (E x p .) / F c B (R e f .)$
S0	481.5	589.7	325	0.82	1.48
S0.5	553.7	622.7	–	0.89	1.70
S1	604.3	657.0	–	0.92	1.86
S1.5	650.0	687.6	–	0.95	2.00

Tab.8 Comparison of experimental data with reference and calculated failure load at rail seat section

sleeper series	$A v . F r B (E x p .)$	$F r B (C a l .)$	$F c B (R e f .)$	$F c B (E x p .) / F c B (C a l .)$	$F c B (E x p .) / F c B (R e f .)$
S0	106.7	88.5	75	1.21	1.42
S0.5	118.3	94.9	–	1.25	1.57
S1	122.2	101.7	–	1.20	1.63
S1.5	128.2	107.8	–	1.19	1.71

Tab.9 Comparison of experimental data with reference and calculated failure load at center section

sleeper series	rail seat section					center section
sleeper series	$M n$	$? M n$	$M d r +$	$? M d r +$	safety factor	$M n$	$? M n$	$M d c ?$	$? M d c ?$	safety factor
S0	50	42.3	13	24.05	1.77	25.0	21.2	10	18.5	1.15
S0.5	46.7	39.7	–	–	1.65	23.4	19.9	–	–	1.07
S1	43	36.6	–	–	1.52	21.9	18.6	–	–	1.01
S1.5	45	38.3	–	–	1.59	23.2	19.7	–	–	1.06

Tab.10 Safety factor for reduced-size concrete sleepers with different concrete mixes

Fig.22 (a) Percentage of reduction volume for UHPFRC sleeper (

v f

= 0) = 15%; (b) percentage of reduction volume for UHPFRC sleeper (

v f

= 0.5) = 20%; (c) percentage of reduction volume for UHPFRC sleeper (

v f

= 1 and 1.5) = 25%.

sleeper series	average failure load, $P c r$ (kN)	concrete strength, $f c u$ (MPa)	$P c r / f c u$
S0	107.6	102.05	1.05
S0.5	119.1	112.00	1.06
S1	131.6	122.89	1.07
S1.5	153.4	132.87	1.15

Tab.11 Pull-out resistance

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