A simple method to assess replacement period of polyurethane railpad in urban railway

摘要

The service life of polyurethane railpads used in urban railways was investigated using static stiffness, thermal accelerated, fatigue, and thermal repeated loading tests. Railpads subjected to repetitive train loads and temperature changes were collected from railway sites to determine the static stiffness as a function of usage time. The stiffness of new railpads showed nonlinear behavior, unlike the linear behavior of used railpads. Thermal repeated loading tests were performed to investigate the accelerated degradation of the railpad exposed to thermal and nonthermal loading conditions. The acceleration factor and relationship between usage time and number of cyclic loads were used to predict the replacement period. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.