Experimental Study on Settlement Behavior of Ballasted Tracks with Polymer Compound-Coated Gravel

The ballast used in ballasted railway tracks transmits load from the rails and ties to the subgrade during train travel, and directly affects the overall track support performance and elastic behavior of the ballasted track. Due to the material limitations of the ballast, it is difficult to quantitatively manage its performance, status, and shape maintenance, and the use of the ballast requires continuous maintenance and management work. In this study on a proposed ballast material, ballast box tests and numerical analyses were performed to examine the performance of the ballast that has a gravel coating layer and can be used semi-permanently while maintaining the shape of the ballast against impacts, abrasion, and friction. The results show that the coated ballast’s performance ensured constant stiffness in comparison to that of a normal ballast.