Abstract Summary
The railway transition zone, where the track transitions from a ballasted track to a slab track, is a crucial area that can experience amplified dynamic responses. This work aims to develop a deeper insight into the mechanisms leading to the amplified dynamic response in railway transition zones. The study employs a finite element (FE) model to investigate the amplification of total strain energies due to the phenomena of reflection and redistribution close to the transition interface. The results of the study are obtained for three case studies involving non-reflecting boundaries and homogenous material along the vertical direction of the track, and the conditions are studied for individual and combined effects. The findings of the study show that eliminating these phenomena leads to no amplification of total strain energies in railway transition zones. The conclusion highlights the importance of understanding these mechanisms in order to design an efficient railway transition structure. Keywords: railway transition zones, dynamic response, finite element model, strain energies, reflection, redistribution, ballasted track, slab track.
