• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1542-1549
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• 2009

The function of subgrade in the railway is to support track load on the subgrade as well as train load. Unlike the traditional railway, the uppermost subgrade layer in the Gyeongbu high speed railway was constructed as the reinforced road bed. The reinforced road bed comprises sub-ballast in the upper part and grade ballast in the lower part. The filling material such as soil and rocks in the subgrade can be settled by consolidation of original ground, compression due to self weight, plastic displacement due to train operation, and unequal settlement due to embankment material or improper compaction, therefore many efforts have been given for sufficient compaction and use of proper filling materials in the construction stage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the deformation state of subgrade in the Gyeongbu high speed railway. The investigation on the subgrade settlement was performed by choosing representative sections suspected to be settled based on the previous GPR test results and track maintenance history, measuring the settlement for some time period after installing settlement measuring instruments on and under the reinforced road bed. and analyzing the long-term subgrade settlement data from monitoring system which was installed at the construction stage of the high speed railway.

• International Journal of Railway
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.53-58
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• 2013

In this study, cyclic triaxial tests were carried out with the coarse granular materials used in Korean railway infrastructure (reinforced trackbed, gravel of transition zone, upper subgrade of railway) and Young's modulus for the target materials in small strain level were suggested. And the result of elastic modulus suggested in this study is expected to be effectively applied to dynamic analysis of the railway embankment structure using similar material, since the grain size distributions and unit weight of the material tested in this study are specified in Korean Railway Design Criteria.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.64-75
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• 2017

The role of a track subgrade is to provide bearing capacity and distribute load transferred to lower foundation soils. Track subgrade soils are usually compacted by heavy mechanical machines in the field, such that sometimes they are attributed to progressive residual settlement during the service after construction completion of the railway track. The progressive residual settlement generated in the upper part of a track subgrade is mostly non-recoverable plastic deformation, which causes unstable conditions such as track irregularity. Nonetheless, up to now no design code for allowable residual settlement of subgrade in a railway trackbed has been proposed based on mechanical testing, such as repetitive triaxial testing. At this time, to check the DOC or stiffness of the soil, field test criteria for compacted track subgrade are composed of data from RPBT and field compaction testing. However, the field test criteria do not provide critical design values obtained from mechanical test results that can offer correct information about allowable permanent deformation. In this study, a test procedure is proposed for permanent deformation of compacted subgrade soil that is used usually in railway trackbed in the laboratory using repetitive triaxial testing. To develop the test procedure, an FEA was performed to obtain the shear stress ratio (${\tau}/{\tau}_f$) and the confining stress (${\sigma}_3$) on the top of the subgrade. Comprehensive repetitive triaxial tests were performed using the proposed test procedure on several field subgrade soils obtained in construction sites of railway trackbeds. A permanent deformation model was proposed using the test results for the railway track.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1827-1832
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• 2007

The purpose of a railway track is to provide a smooth surface for safe and economical train transportation. The performance of the track results from a complex interaction of the track and subgrade components in response to train loading and environmental actions. In the past, the role of subgrade as the track foundation were not recognized adequately. There are insufficient information and inadequate methods for subgrade design, assessment and improvement. This situation has survived for a long time largely because a subgrade defect can often be adjusted by adding more ballast under the ties or applying more frequent track maintenance. Therefore, the application of reinforced roadbed technology will be expected to increase in the future. The reinforced roadbed thickness is set depending on subgrade reaction modulus$(K_{30})$ in the condition of upper subgrade through PBT in both conventional railroad and KTX railroads. As train velocity (V), train passing tonnage (N), and train axial load (P) are not considered in design, the roadbed thickness could be overestimated (or underestimated). Therefore, In this study, the computer model, GEOTRACK, was analyzed the influence of reinforced roadbed thickness factors on track modulus and the characteristics of stress pulses in track and subgrade generated by repeated axle loading.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.1279-1286
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• 2007

The purpose of a railway track is to provide a smooth surface for safe and economical train transportation. The performance of the track results from a complex interaction of the track and subgrade components in response to train loading and environmental actions. In the past, the role of subgrade as the track foundation were not recognized adequately. There are insufficient information and inadequate methods for subgrade design, assessment and improvement. This situation has survived for a long time largely because a subgrade defect can often be adjusted by adding more ballast under the ties or applying more frequent track maintenance. Therefore, the application of reinforced roadbed technology will be expected to increase in the future. The reinforced roadbed thickness is set depending on subgrade reaction modulus($K_{30}$) in the condition of upper subgrade through PBT in both conventional railroad and KTX railroads. As train velocity (V), train passing tonnage (N), and train axial load (P) are not considered in design, the roadbed thickness could be overestimated (or underestimated). Therefore, in this study has proposed a determination method of reinforced roadbed thickness using design chart made by resilience modulus and properties of earthwork materials.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.354-362
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• 2015

Since allowable settlement of concrete slab track is about 30mm, a lot of attention must be paid to the settlement of the earthwork (reinforced trackbed, upper subgrade, under subgrade) under the concrete track. To this end, more experimental data should be accumulated through tests for these materials. In this study, we evaluate the long-term settlement of reinforced trackbed and subgrade materials using factors such as repeated loading conditions, water content, and grain size distributions in a large triaxial test and a large oedometer test. In cases in which the performance of the reinforced trackbed layer meets the design criteria, the settlement caused by train load was considerably small. But, when the water content increases in the subgrade, unexpectedly large settlement might occur for certain grain size distributions of the subgrade materials.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.359-370
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• 2024

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the migration of fine granular materials into overlying layers under cyclic loading using a modified large-scale triaxial system as a physical model test. Samples prepared for the modified large-scale triaxial system comprised a 60 mm thick gravel layer overlying a 120 mm thick subgrade layer, which could be either tailings or railway sand. A quantitative analysis of the migration of fine granular materials was based on the mass percentage and grain size of migrated materials collected in the gravel. In addition, the cyclic characteristics, i.e., accumulated axial strain and excess pore water pressure, were evaluated. As a result, the total migration rate of the railway sand sample was found to be small. However, the total migration rate of the sample containing tailings in the subgrade layer was much higher than that of the railway sand sample. In addition, the migration analysis revealed that finer tailings particles tended to be migrated into the upper gravel layer easier than coarser tailings particles under cyclic loading. This could be involved in significant increases in excess pore water pressure at the last cycles of the physical model test.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.57-67
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• 2008

Two test methods, nonrepetitive plate loading test (NPLT) and repetitive plate loading test (RPLT) are being used to control the quality of compaction through the evaluation of the stiffness of subgrade soils in the Korea railway industry. Subgrade reaction modulus ($k_{30}$) from the NPLT and strain modulus ($E_v$) from the RPLT are the index values to check them. The methods have similar aspects, but they differ in the modulus evaluation method, the numbers of loading stage, termination procedures, etc. This paper analyses the differences of the two test methods and evaluates the relationship between subgrade reaction modulus and strain modulus. In order to develop the relationship, total 22 tests were performed including the NPLT and the RPLT at the 6 original grounds, and 5 upper or lower subgrades in Kyungbu High Speed Railway II stage construction sites. According to the soil conditions, the relationship between subgrade reaction modulus and strain modulus was proposed with corrections by considering strain states, mean confining pressures, and Poisson's ratio.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.39-47
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• 2014

In this study, the full scale model tests were performed with track-roadbed system such as Ho-nam high speed railway. The measured data gives good similar a roadbed pressure with equivalent depth to the Odemark's theory. In the case of earth pressures have a under 50 kPa at upper-subgrade applying 330 kN static loading. Results of cyclic loading tests did not differ significantly from those of static loading test. The elastic displacement at HSB layer has a level of 1/100 compared to the 1 mm that it was evaluation criteria for speed up of High Speed Railway. Elastic displacement at subgrade layer was measured a level of 1/175. The dynamic characteristics of track-roadbed with loading frequency level were linearly increased under 35 Hz, while the wheel loading, displacement and acceleration of roadbed were decreased loading frequency above 35 Hz.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.23-31
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• 2023

The escalating settlements observed in concrete slab tracks pose a significant challenge in Korea, raising concerns about their adverse impact on the safe operation of high-speed railways and the substantial costs involved in restoration. A primary contributor to these settlements is identified as the utilization of rock materials sourced from tunnel construction, incorporated into the lower subgrade without the requisite soil mixing to achieve an appropriate particle size distribution. This study employs numerical analysis to evaluate the efficacy of partial reinforcement in reducing settlements in rock-filled lower subgrades. Column-shaped reinforcement areas strategically positioned at regular intervals in the lower subgrade induce soil arching in the upper subgrade, leading to a concentration of soil loads on the reinforced areas and consequent settlement reduction. The analysis employs finite element methods to investigate the influence of the size, stiffness, and spacing of the reinforced areas on settlement reduction in the lower subgrade. The numerical results guide the formulation of an optimal design approach, proposing a method to determine the minimum spacing required for reinforcements to effectively limit settlements within acceptable bounds. This research contributes valuable insights into addressing the challenges associated with settlement in concrete slab tracks, offering a basis for informed decision-making in railway infrastructure management.