Comparison of performance of concrete and steel sleepers using experimental and discrete element methods

Experimental and numerical discrete element analyses have been performed to investigate trackbed behaviour for concrete mono-block and steel sleepers. For the laboratory and numerical approaches considered, ballast settlement as well as ballast-subgrade interface pressure is measured. Consideration is also given to the steel sleeper installation process by the comparison of a statically driven steel sleeper to a wished-in-place'' configuration. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.