Comparison of simulation and field tests of subballast compaction with plate compactors during rail track rehabilitation

Abstract

The sufficient compaction of the subballast during track rehabilitation is a crucial process to improve the longevity of railways. For track-bound rehabilitation methods, plate compactors are used to ensure sufficient compaction of the subballast layer, as they can operate effectively in confined areas. Formation rehabilitation machines, such as Plasser & Theurer’s AHM 800-R, are equipped with six plate compactors to facilitate this process. In Austria, the most used plate compactor, the Wimmer WBB530, consists of a frame and a dynamically decoupled vibrating base plate featuring a rotating mass-type exciter. As a relatively lightweight compaction device, the compaction of a subballast layer of up to 50 cm thickness may present a challenge to the Wimmer WBB530. Ensuring sufficient compaction is therefore a subject of significant interest. Previous investigations included field tests to monitor and analyze the motion behavior of the plate compactor. Additionally, a mechanical model was developed to simulate the motion behavior and analyze the interaction between the plate compactor and the soil during compaction. This paper compares the simulated motion behavior and soil interaction from the mechanical model with the data gathered from experimental field tests. The comparison shows that the model can adequately replicate the motion behavior of the plate compactor for specific process parameters. For these parameters, the model accurately determines the mode of operation during compaction and the interaction between the plate compactor and the soil, corresponding with the measured data. However, the measurements also showed that the plate compactor and its harmonic loading of the soil highly depends on a careful selection of process parameters.