Railway transition zones (RTZs), where rail tracks undergo abrupt changes in foundation types, represent critical challenges in railway infrastructure due to their higher degradation rates compared to open tracks. This study synthesizes insights from multiple research efforts to propose a robust design solution and an energy-based design criterion for RTZ management. We present a two-step approach to establish the design criterion based on a systematic analysis of each RTZ component, focusing on variations in kinematic responses, stresses, and energies. Based on this analysis, the energy-based design criterion is proposed, asserting that minimizing the total strain energy within the trackbed layers and uniformly distributing it in the longitudinal direction can significantly mitigate uneven track geometry and reduce degradation. A novel safe hull-inspired energy limiting design (SHIELD) is introduced and evaluated against traditional transition structures like approach slabs and transition wedges. SHIELD’s effectiveness in managing energy flow at RTZs is demonstrated, highlighting its potential as a transformative solution in RTZ design. Further, we explore the impact of stiffness variations in both vertical and longitudinal track directions and the temporal changes in material properties on RTZ dynamics, suggesting permissible stiffness ratios to control strain energy amplification. A detailed investigation is thus performed to understand the role of geometry in energy management. The influence of different geometric profiles of SHIELD and standard embankment-bridge transitions on strain energy distributions is studied using 3D finite element models. The findings emphasize the strategic use of geometry to channel and scatter energy, and thus mitigate energy concentrations, enhancing the performance and lifespan of RTZs. In conclusion, this comprehensive research not only highlights the importance of an energy-based design criterion and the innovative SHIELD structure in RTZ management but also underscores the need for further research into the geometric profiles and their interplay with energy flow and mechanical properties. This study lays a foundation for future explorations aimed at optimizing RTZ design, ensuring robustness, and extending the operational life of these crucial railway sections. ... Read more

Wave energy holds substantial promise as a renewable resource, but its commercial deployment remains limited. Research primarily focuses on individual wave energy converter (WEC) devices, while the interactions within WEC arrays have received less attention. Optimizing these interactions is essential for maximizing energy capture and minimizing operational costs. However, due to the variability of wave conditions, it is unlikely that a single WEC configuration will be effective across all scenarios. Therefore, to optimize performance, a large number of simulations are required, which is computationally expensive with traditional high-fidelity numerical methods. This paper addresses this challenge by utilizing a surrogate model based on polynomial chaos expansion (PCE), which efficiently captures the behavior of a WEC array over a 30-year probabilistic based on a high-fidelity wave dataset. The surrogate model is compared to a frequency domain model, demonstrating a high efficiency. The surrogate model is used to simulate the performance of an array of five point absorber WECs under varying wave conditions. The study highlights the following requirements for optimal array performance: the spatial configuration of WECs must consistently produce optimal power throughout the operational period and must adapt to the high variability of wave parameters. The results reveal that the fixed array configuration under study, produces power that is inconsistent over varying sea conditions, showing suboptimal energy production under most wave conditions, and higher power output only under less probable wave scenarios. These findings provide insights into the physical interactions influencing WEC array performance and can inform future design methodologies for wave energy farms. The proposed surrogate modeling framework offers a highly efficient tool for conducting large-scale probabilistic analyses of WEC arrays, significantly reducing computational effort while enabling more accurate performance predictions. ... Read more

The proper design of wave energy converters (WECs) is crucial for ensuring robustness in harsh wave climates without incurring the additional expense of unnecessary overdesign. The power take-off (PTO) mechanism, serving as a vital link between the moving body and the electric generator, is a key component in the design load analysis of WECs. However, the setting of PTO system parameters significantly impacts the dynamic behavior of the entire WEC system, leading to alterations in estimated loads. This work is dedicated to studying the influence of PTO control strategies on the identification of extreme loads of a heaving point absorber WEC. A nonlinear time-domain model is established to estimate the dynamic responses and loads of the WEC. Both PTO loads and end-stop loads under extreme conditions are examined, considering the wave climate of a realistic sea site. The results suggest that the PTO setting strategies significantly impact the extreme load exerted on both the PTO system and the end-stop system. Varying the PTO damping within a certain range could lead to a difference of 57% and 63% in short-term extreme loads for the PTO system and the end-stop system, respectively. Furthermore, the impacts of the PTO control strategy appear to be specific to each WEC component. The PTO parameters selected for reducing the extreme PTO loads might increase the extreme end-stop loads. A holistic examination is therefore recommended for estimating the extreme loads of WECs. ... Read more

Railway transition zones (RTZs) are subjected to amplified degradation leading to high maintenance costs and reduced availability of tracks for operation. Over the years, several mitigation measures have been investigated to deal with the amplified degradation of these zones. However, to ensure the robustness of a design solution, it must be evaluated for critical conditions arising due to certain loading and track conditions. In this paper, the critical load conditions arising due to different velocities (sub-critical, critical and super-critical), the direction of the moving load, the combination of inertial effects and track imperfections (non-straight rail and hanging sleepers) and passage of multiple axles (using a comprehensive vehicle model) are investigated for an embankment-bridge transition. The results are then compared against the recently proposed design of a transition structure called SHIELD (Safe Hull Inspired Energy Limiting Design) to evaluate its performance under these critical conditions using various vehicle models and finite element models of the RTZs. It was found that the novel design of the transition structure effectively mitigates dynamic amplifications and results in smooth strain energy distribution across sub-critical, critical, and super-critical velocity regimes in both directions of movement implying that the expected operation-induced degradation will be as uniform as possible in longitudinal direction. Furthermore, even though this transition structure is designed to deal with initial track conditions (perfectly straight track), its superior performance is not confined to tracks in perfect condition; it also efficiently addresses adverse effects from track imperfections such as hanging sleepers and non-straight rail. In the end, this work demonstrates the robustness of the design solution for all the critical conditions under study. ... Read more

The Energy Transition requires meticulous planning, taking into consideration economic, technical, social, and resource constraints. In Europe ambitious targets have been set for system electrification, however, integrating the potential of marine renewables have not been thoroughly investigated. This study extends the framework of PyPSA-Eur into PyPSA-Eur-MREL that for the first time incorporates all marine renewables, using high resolution datasets, that uncover the potential of marine renewables. Marine renewables are modelled in terms of power estimations, deployment strategies and revised packing density, and expected benefits for 2030, and 2050 across all European Countries are quantified. Higher spatio-temporal data have an immediate impact in estimates, and reduction of energy storage by 73%. Wind energy has a reduced installation capacity by 50%, but the higher fidelity of resource matches production to demand and reduces curtailments up to 60%. System costs with high resolution data are 40% reduced to 160 billion € for a 2030 100% renewable reliant system. The benefits of having more marine renewables are not limited to cost and more efficient demand matching, reduced energy storage, but it also with the area required to decarbonise the system. The results are encouraging and outline the importance and further need for marine renewable energies. ... Read more

Transition zones, characterized by significant variation in track properties (e.g., foundation stiffness) near rigid structures like bridges and tunnels, necessitate more frequent maintenance compared to standard track sections due to higher levels of differential settlements observed at transition zones. Field measurements on one-way tracks reveal asymmetric settlement patterns (i.e., different settlement in the soft-to-stiff vs. stiff-to-soft transitions), yet existing literature often investigate either one or the other transition type without investigating the potential limited validity of results. This study investigates the similar aspects as well as the dissimilar ones regarding the behaviour of soft-to-stiff and stiff-to-soft transitions. Modelling results show that the behaviour of the two transitions can be considerably different. These results strongly suggest that for a mitigation measure to be efficient, it may be necessary to have different designs for the two types of transition wherever possible (i.e., in one-way tracks). This study can help researchers and engineers understand the different degradation patterns obtained using more complex models or from field measurements. ... Read more

Railway tracks are subjected to constant degradation over the operational period leading to high maintenance and operation costs. To add to this railway transition zones experience 4–8 times more degradation and need more frequent maintenance compared to normal tracks. Railway transition zones are areas where the railway tracks cross a different transportation modality (road, waterway, etc.) or where the rail experiences major changes in the type of track support structure. Several studies have pointed out that the transition zones show amplified dynamic responses due to abrupt changes in stiffness and differential settlement in these zones. Consequently, an increased deterioration of geometry and material is observed in these zones. Numerous attempts have been made to address the abovementioned factors at the superstructure and substructure level. However, an effective intervention to mitigate the amplified degradation in these zones is missing. In this chapter, an overview of the problem and existing solutions is presented. Moreover, a novel design methodology to design railway transition zones is proposed and discussed in detail. The design methodology includes the formulation of a design criterion, identification of design parameters, investigation of key phenomena governing design and proposing an optimized design solution. ... Read more

Wave energy converter (WEC) arrays should be designed to ensure consistent and optimal power production over long operational periods. This requires an understanding of stochastic wave variability, interactive effects among devices and their mutual dependence. In this work, a computationally efficient surrogate modelling framework was developed using data-driven polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) to analyze the performance of WEC arrays under realistic sea state conditions spanning 30 years. For this purpose, using Latin hypercube sampling scheme on a joint probability distribution derived from the ECHOWAVE hindcast dataset, resulting $10^6$ combinations of significant wave height (Hs), wave period (Tp), and WEC radius (R) for two array configurations—interacting and non-interacting cases were evaluated. The surrogate model was set up to evaluate the performance of WEC arrays by means of global sensitivity analysis using Sobol indices. The results conclude that the interactive effects significantly alter the contribution of design parameters (like geometry and spatial configurations) to power output, emphasizing the inadequacy of single-device analysis for array optimization. The findings highlight the importance of tailored WEC design within arrays and offer a robust approach for long-term performance prediction and optimization of wave energy farms. ... Read more

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 model to investigate the amplification of total strain energy due to the phenomena of reflection and redistribution of energy close to the transition interface. The results of the study are obtained for three case studies involving non-reflecting boundary (representing an energy sink) and homogeneous material along the vertical direction of the track, and the responses are studied for individual and combined effects in comparison to a benchmark case. The findings of the study show that eliminating the phenomena results in no dynamic amplification in total strain energy in railway transition zones. The conclusion highlights the importance of understanding these phenomena in order to design an efficient railway transition structure. ... Read more

Railway transition zones (RTZs) experience higher rates of degradation compared to open tracks, which leads to increased maintenance costs and reduced availability. Despite existing literature on railway track assessment and maintenance, effective design solutions for RTZs are still limited. Therefore, a robust design criterion is required to develop effective solutions. This paper presents a two-step approach for the formulation of a preliminary-design criterion to delay the onset of processes leading to uneven track geometry in RTZs. Firstly, a systematic analysis of each track component in a RTZ is performed by examining spatial and temporal variations in kinematic responses, stresses and energies using a finite element model of an embankment-bridge transition. Secondly, the study proposes an energy-based criterion to be assessed using a model with linear elastic material behavior and states that an amplification in the total train energy in the proximity of the transition interface is an indicator of increased (and thus non-uniform) degradation in RTZs compared to the open tracks. The correlation between the total strain energy (assessed in the model with linear material behaviour) and the permanent irreversible deformations is demonstrated using a model with non-linear elastoplastic material behavior of the ballast layer. In the end, it is claimed that minimising the magnitude of total strain energy will lead to reduced degradation and a uniform distribution of total strain energy in each trackbed layer along the longitudinal direction of the track will ensure uniformity in the track geometry. ... Read more

Railway transition zones are the most critical part of the railway infrastructures that experience 4-8 times more degradation compared to open tracks. Despite several attempts to reduce the maintenance and operation costs in these critical zones, a robust and comprehensive solution remains unknown. In recent studies, a robust safe hull inspired energy limiting design of a transition structure was proposed for an embankment-bridge transition (without ballast layer over the bridge) to deal with operation-induced degradation. However, this solution was investigated in detail for only this particular type of transition. In this work, the scope of this mitigation measure is extended for an embankment-bridge transition with ballast running over the bridge and its performance is evaluated using a strain-energy criterion. It was concluded in the end that the safe hull inspired energy limiting design can effectively mitigate the operation-induced dynamic amplification for more than one type of railway transition zones. ... Read more

Railway transition zones present a major challenge in railway track design mainly due to abrupt jumps in stiffness and differential settlements that result from crossing stiffer structures such as bridges or culverts. Despite numerous efforts to mitigate these transition effects at both the superstructure and substructure levels, a comprehensive solution remains elusive. Substructure-level interventions have demonstrated some effectiveness but are often cost-prohibitive and challenging to implement in existing operational railway transition zones. In contrast, mitigation measures at the superstructure (rail, sleepers, rail-pads, under-sleeper pads) level can be easily installed but have shown limited improvement in site measurements. This study evaluates the influence of different sleeper configurations in transition zones and reduced sleeper spacings on the operation-driven dynamic amplifications in railway transition zones, employing a recently proposed criterion based on the total strain energy in the track-bed layers (ballast, embankment, and subgrade). In addition to this, the influence of the loss of contact between sleepers and ballast (i.e., hanging sleepers), which typically results from the differential settlement, is studied. The first part of the paper provides useful insights regarding the interventions (and/or initial design) in the sleeper configuration and spacing, whereas the second part of the work highlights the need for interventions to deal with the loss of contact between sleeper and ballast. A 2-dimensional finite element model of an embankment-bridge transition was used for the analysis. The results show that it is not possible to mitigate the transition effects completely using the interventions involving sleeper spacing and configuration. ... Read more

Railway transition zones (RTZs) are regions where abrupt track stiffness changes occur that may lead to dynamic amplifications and subsequent track deterioration. The design challenges for these zones arise due to variations in material properties in both the depth (trackbed layers composed of different materials) and longitudinal directions of the track, as well as temporal variations in mechanical properties of materials due to several external factors over the operational period. This research aims to investigate the effects of these variations in material properties (i.e., of the resulting stiffness distributions in vertical and longitudinal directions) on the behaviour of RTZs, assess from this perspective the performance of a novel transition structure called the SHIELD, and establish a methodology for designing a robust solution to mitigate the dynamic amplifications in these zones. Results indicate that stiffness variations in both vertical and longitudinal directions significantly influence the dynamic behaviour of the RTZs. The study also suggests a permissible range of stiffness ratios to control the amplification of strain energy in the most critical components of RTZs, both in the initial state as well as during the operational phase (where material properties may vary over time). Moreover, the proposed methodology offers a valuable tool for the design and evaluation of RTZs and is applicable to various transition types and a broad spectrum of material properties. ... Read more

Railway transition zones are critical regions in railway infrastructure that are subjected to excessive operation-driven degradation due to energy concentration within these zones. This work presents a heuristic approach to optimise the geometry of the transition structure and investigate its influence on the strain energy distribution in the railway transition zones (RTZs), with a specific focus on embankment-bridge transitions equipped with a newly proposed ’Safe Hull-Inspired Energy Limiting Design (SHIELD)’ transition structure. For this purpose, a number of three-dimensional finite element models are used to analyze different geometric profiles of SHIELD in a systematic manner. By altering SHIELD's geometry across longitudinal, transversal, and vertical directions, the influence of the different geometric profiles on the total strain energy distribution across the trackbed layers (ballast, embankment, and subgrade) is studied in terms of spatial and temporal variations. The results establish the contribution of geometry to energy redistribution in all three directions and present an optimum geometry for the type of transition under study. It is found that among all the profiles, the longitudinal geometric profile of SHIELD has the most significant impact on the strain energy distribution, while the transversal profile primarily influences the ballast layer, and the alteration of vertical profiles enhance the local redistribution of strain energy in the vicinity of the transition interface. The preliminary optimisation (heuristic approach) presented in this work provides the starting point for full-scale optimisation to obtain tailored shapes of transition structures such that there is neither a concentration of energy nor an obstruction in the flow of energy in RTZs. ... Read more

Railway tracks are subjected to constant degradation in terms of geometry, and wear and tear of the track components (rails, sleepers, fasteners, trackbed layers, etc.). Over the years, trains have evolved immensely, but the track infrastructure has not kept pace. With rapid advancements in vehicle technologies, the design of rail infrastructure must cope with the challenges associated with the operation of railway tracks. In addition, railway transition zones (RTZs) degrade even faster (4-8 times) than normal tracks, leading to higher maintenance and operational costs. RTZs are areas where railway tracks cross stiffer structures (e.g., roads, bridges, culverts). The amplified degradation in RTZs is mainly attributed to abrupt changes in vertical stiffness and to differential settlement, resulting in amplified and non-uniformtrack responses. Even though the dynamic behavior of RTZs differs from that of normal tracks, the design of track components in these zones remains similar to normal tracks, with some modifications at the superstructure and/or substructure levels to mitigate the transition effects. There have been several attempts to mitigate the adverse effects of dynamic response amplification in RTZs, but they have proven either marginally effective or counterproductive. Therefore, a comprehensive design methodology for RTZs is needed that addresses the main degradation mechanisms leading to amplified degradation of these zones.

In this paper-based thesis, a novel methodology is proposed to design and evaluate railway transition zones. For this purpose, detailed analysis and design optimization is performed for a bridge-embankment transition using various two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element models, different vehicle models, and surrogate models (using polynomial chaos expansion). Firstly, the proposed methodology establishes a robust design criterion to design and evaluate RTZs. The criterion relates the magnitude and uniformity (spatial and temporal) of the total strain energy in the trackbed layers to the permanent deformation of RTZs. This novel energy-based criterion is used to evaluate the most commonly used mitigationmeasures at the superstructure and substructure levels and to investigate the key phenomena governing RTZ design. Based on insights obtained from these analyses, a preliminary design of a novel transition structure called SHIELD (Safe Hull-Inspired Energy Limiting Design) is proposed. The second phase of the work is dedicated to identifying the most influential design parameters leading to optimized geometry of SHIELD and the desiredmaterial characteristics. The third phase involves the performance evaluation of optimized SHIELD subjected to critical loading conditions (e.g., critical and supercritical velocities, different directions of movement, hanging sleepers, non-straight rail) and SHIELD is shown to be a robust design solution for all conditions under study. In the end, the use of SHIELD is extended to another type of an embankment-bridge transition (with ballast running over the bridge) where it is shown to be equally (compared to embankment-bridge transition with no ballast layer over the bridge) efficient in mitigating the transition effects, and a laboratory experiment is designed to test the effectiveness of the proposed design criterion and methodology. A robust design methodology for RTZs is proposed in this work, which aims to minimize operation-induced degradation and can be adapted to different transition types and sitespecific conditions. A preliminary optimized design of SHIELD is proposed, which has been shown to be effective in mitigating dynamic amplifications in RTZs under both ideal and non-ideal conditions. The results and conclusions presented in this work demonstrate the promise of SHIELD as an intervention for railway transition zones, outline the next steps toward its practical implementation, and highlight the challenges that need to be addressed in future research.
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This comprehensive study addresses the persistent issue of railway transition zone degradation, evaluating the efficacy of the most commonly used mitigation measures and proposing a novel Safe Hull-Inspired Energy Limiting Design (SHIELD) of a transition structure. Firstly, this work assesses the traditional transition structures, including horizontal and inclined approach slabs and transition wedges, using commonly studied responses (kinematic response and stress) and a recently proposed criterion based on total strain energy minimization. The second part of the paper evaluates the newly introduced transition structuress (SHIELD) using the same criterion as used for the evaluation of the traditional transition structures. A detailed investigation of existing and a new design using a 2-dimensional finite element model shows SHIELD’s effectiveness in managing energy flow at transition zones and provides reasoning behind the ineffectiveness of the other commonly used transition structures. The study demonstrates the robustness and comprehensiveness of the recently developed energy-based criterion and its applicability to different types of transition zones. Moreover, it highlights the potential of SHIELD as a solution to address the complexities associated with the design of railway transition zones. ... Read more

ransition zones in railway tracks experience strong amplification of stress and strain fields due to the passage of train over inhomogeneity. The inhomogeneity in these zones can be attributed to changes in mechanical properties of material along the longitudinal direction of the track, and to displacement/traction discontinuities at interfaces leading to an amplified response in railway transition zones (TZ) with respect to the open tracks. In this paper, different kinds of inhomogeneities are considered in isolation and in combination to study the effects on railway track components in transition zone. The first type of inhomogeneity considered is non-uniformity of materials at various levels of the track along the longitudinal direction. The second type of inhomogeneity that will be considered arises from displacement and traction discontinuities at the interface of soil and structure and at the interface of sleepers and ballast (hanging sleepers). The results provide necessary insight for the design of effective mitigation measures to prevent the amplified response in railway TZ. ... Read more

This paper studies the effectiveness of adding auxiliary rails as a mitigation measure for degradation in transition zones of railway tracks. More specifically, it investigates the settlement mechanisms counteracted by the additional rails. Results show that when the system’s response is in the quasi-static regime, adding auxiliary rails over the soft part of the transition zone is beneficial while adding them over the whole transition zone is not. Furthermore, the auxiliary rails have a beneficial impact also when the system’s response is in the dynamic regime; the beneficial effect is caused by the improved load distribution to the supporting structure and not from counteracting the dynamic response amplification that occurs at transition zones. While this mitigation measure has been previously investigated, the contribution of this study lies in a more in-depth analysis of the mechanism through which auxiliary rails can mitigate the degradation at transition zones. ... Read more

This work presents a numerical simulation of the church of San Francesco, Amatrice, and subsequent interpretation of the evolution of damage and collapse mechanisms that were caused by the main events of the seismic sequence that hit the Apennine area of Central Italy in 2016. The study primarily focuses on the response of the church with reference to the two main events: seismic shocks of 24th August and 30th October 2016.

The dynamic non-linear analysis was performed on the structure using Abaqus CAE 2017, which was intended at simulating the damage and collapse that were observed on the real structure subsequent to the main seismic events. The study also contributes to suggest preventive interventions/material enhancements that could have either limited or mitigated the damage, thereby avoiding the collapse of the Church. In an effort to reciprocate the seismic events, the time-history of the accelerograms recorded at the AMT fixed station and of the amplified local accelerogram were considered as seismic input. Furthermore, this study presents simulations of the response of the structure subjected to the main seismic events simulated in a continuous chronological sequence and the effects of local and global interventions on the seismic response of the entire structure.

This study indicates the application of numerical simulation as an efficient tool for seismic analysis of masonry structures, with the obtained results ranging within the acceptable margin of errors. In addition, the simulations can be used to analyse the proposed interventions, while taking into account the limitations of the software and computational techniques. This paper highlights the interesting conclusions related to the effects of local and global interventions in case of the church of San Francesco and the role of amplification of the accelerations for the site of Amatrice. ... Read more

This paper presents a discussion on the experimental results of the compression tests performed on full-scale fire-exposed, Reinforced Concrete-Filled Steel Tubes (RCFST) and Reinforced Concrete (RC) short columns (outer diameter 457 mm and length 1600 mm). In the companion papers, full details about the test procedure, thermal field, load-displacement curves are provided. In particular, the domain of research work includes the results of five tests for thermal field measurements, that consider four specimens heated in a gas furnace in standard fire conditions (ISO 834), one specimen heated in an electric furnace in non-standard conditions and the results of six axial compressive tests. In this paper, the results of residual compression tests are discussed and an analytical-experimental comparison is proposed. The work concludes with main remarks about the experimental results. ... Read more