Physical Model for Studying the Migration of Fine Particles in the Railway Substructure

To study the interlayer creation and the mud-pumping phenomena in the conventional French railway substructure, a physical model was developed with a 160-mm-thick ballast layer overlaying a 220-mm-thick artificial silt layer (mixture of crushed sand and kaolin), both layers being compacted in a transparent cylinder of a 550-mm-inner diameter. One positive pore water pressure sensor, three tensiometers, and three time domain reflectometer (TDR) sensors were installed around the ballast/silt interface allowing the evolution of pore water pressure (negative or positive) and volumetric water content to be monitored, respectively. A digital camera was installed allowing direct monitoring of different movements (ballast, ballast/subsoil interface, etc.). The effects of loading (monotonic and cyclic loadings) and degree of saturation of subsoil (w = 16 %, S-r = 55 %, and near-saturation state) were investigated. It was found that the development of pore water pressure in the subsoil is the key factor causing the migration of fine particles, hence, resulting in the creation of interlayer, as well as mud pumping. In particular, the camera exposed the pumping up level of fine particles during the test, showing that the migration of fine particles was not only a result of the interpenetration of ballast particles and subsoil, but also of the pore water pressure that pushed the fine particle upward. The quality of the recorded data showed that the physical model developed worked well and the test protocol adopted for studying the mechanisms of intermixing of ballast and subsoil and mud pumping was appropriate.