Application of fractional calculus in modelling ballast deformation under cyclic loading

Authors

Yifei Sun, University of WollongongFollow
Buddhima Indraratna, University of WollongongFollow
John Philip Carter, University of Newcastle
Timothy R. Marchant, University of WollongongFollow
Sanjay Nimbalkar, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

109751

Publication Details

Sun, Y., Indraratna, B., Carter, J. P., Marchant, T. & Nimbalkar, S. (2017). Application of fractional calculus in modelling ballast deformation under cyclic loading. Computers and Geotechnics, 82 16-30.

Abstract

Most constitutive models can only simulate cumulative deformation after a limited number of cycles. However, railroad ballast usually experiences a large number of train passages that cause history-dependent long-term deformation. Fractional calculus is an efficient tool for modelling this phenomenon and therefore is incorporated into a constitutive model for predicting the cumulative deformation. The proposed model is further validated by comparing the model predictions with a series of corresponding experimental results. It is observed that the proposed model can realistically simulate the cumulative deformation of ballast from the onset of loading up to a large number of load cycles.