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V.L. Markine

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20 records found

Design of a more durable and sustainable tram track structure on soft soil

In the borough of IJsselmonde in the city of Rotterdam, there are significant problems with the tram track geometry. The subsoil consists of soft soil types, such as peat and clay. At certain locations, settlements result in severe irregularities of the vertical alignment. At the roundabout at the Groeninx van Zoelenlaan, the track deflections are so severe that the protective shield underneath the front end of the tram touches the surface level and the emergency brakes are activated, which is very uncomfortable for the passengers. The tram track structure is only 18 years old, which is significantly lower than the intended life span of 30 years. This research aims to balance and optimise the sustainability and durability performance of the tram track structure and therefore, the following research question is defined: “To what extent can the durability and sustainability performance of a tram track structure on soft soil conditions be improved while preserving the vertical track geometry?”

PLAXIS 2D and PLAXIS 3D simulations are performed to investigate the structural performance of the tram track superstructure for the current situation and for a situation where light-weight filler materials are used. This study reveals that Rockwool, foam concrete and EPS are suitable as a foundation to reach the intended life span of 30 years. When considering the carbon footprint over 30 years, installing EPS and Rockwool result in a reduction of 3.4% and 1.5% respectively. Further CO2-reduction can be obtained when embedding the track in olivine ballast and producing rails from recycled steel in Electric arc Furnaces. This leads for a track built on Rockwool or EPS to a carbon footprint reduction of 72.3% and 74.4% respectively. When taking into consideration that Rockwool can be used as water buffer and therefore contributes to a more climate-resilient neighbourhood, this is considered to be the most sustainable alternative. So overall, when Rockwool and EPS are used, the sustainability and durability performance of the tram track structure on soft soil improves while preserving the vertical track geometry.
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Bachelor thesis (2024) - J. Blokdijk, V.L. Markine, R.P.B.J. Dollevoet
Railway transition zones represent a significant challenge due to abrupt variations in substructure properties, leading to differences in vertical strain. These differences cause the wheel-rail dynamic interaction to get excited, which can cause passenger discomfort, track deterioration, and derailment. Consequently, proactive design strategies are crucial to mitigate these stresses. In previous research, an optimal geometry of railway sleepers was designed, however it was assumed that every sleeper would have the same geometry. This renders the design to be susceptible to inherent uncertainties. To address this limitation, a new design should be made incorporating uncertainties. However, railways involve numerous parameters
influencing performance. Employing all parameters within an optimization framework is computationally not feasible. Therefore, this thesis aims to identify the most influential design variables within a railway transition zone. This leads in the following research question:

How can the most influential design variables on the performance of a railway transition zone be determined using a static model while taking uncertainties into account?

In this research, the design variables have been limited to only railway sleepers. To answer this question, a comprehensive review on how uncertainty is implemented into designs was done. Leveraging this knowledge, Optimized Latin Hypercube Sampling (OLHS) was employed to generate samples defining the length and width of each sleeper within the transition zone. These samples were then used as input variables within a static Ansys model, modified to mimic dynamic factors. This model subsequently calculates the stress and settlement in the ballast and soil layer for several locations across the transition zone. This process is repeated for ten different samples created with OLHS. The location exhibiting the highest settlement and stress for each sample was identified, resulting in a dataset for comparison between the
samples with the most favorable and least favorable performance.

One pattern that can be seen in the results is that higher stresses occur when there is a higher
disparity between adjacent railway sleepers. This may be the cause of differences in bearing surface area, where longer sleepers spread the load from the rails over a larger area than shorter sleepers. This causes uneven settlement, and consequently higher stress concentrations. If this hypothesis holds true, incorporating gradual transitions in sleeper length throughout the transition zone becomes a critical design consideration for future optimization efforts. However, further research is warranted to definitively validate this observation. ...

An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Design: Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Multi-Objective Optimisation using the NSGA-II Algorithm

Master thesis (2024) - A.N.J. Goudkuil, V.L. Markine, H. Wang, W.W. Veeneman, J.J. Krikken, W. Golverdingen
The Overhead Catenary Line System (OCLS) is crucial for continuous electrical supply to trains in electrified railway networks. This article outlines the research conducted on the exploration of the sustainable design space of the Overhead Contact Line support structure on the main Dutch rail network. The research began with a comprehensive review of the literature on OCLS support structures, covering publications from 2013 to 2022. A multi-objective optimisation model is developed to explore sustainable design possibilities. Further result analyses elucidate the defining parameters and variables of the support structure design. The findings presented in this
research serve as a basis for more in-depth research on the discussion surrounding existing regulations and specifications and sustainability within the rail branch. ...
Master thesis (2024) - T.J. van Gent, V.L. Markine, Z. Yang, K. Anupam
Transition zones in railway tracks are locations with an abrupt change in stiffness in the vertical rail supporting structure. These locations are typically located as approaches near engineering structures where there is a sudden change in track substructure. Due to these abrupt changes the dynamic forces of the wheel-rail interaction on the railway track are significantly amplified resulting in the deterioration of track geometry. With higher operational velocities, the degradation process of the track is accelerated. The goal of this research is the investigation of the relationship between vertical acceleration from the axle box of the vehicle bogie (axle box accelerations - ABA) and track geometry changes at transition zones. While most studies investigate the behavior of railway transition zones making use of finite element models, this study focuses on the use of a more computational efficient multi body simulation (MBS) software (VI-Rail flextrack).
After the software is tested and the results validated, different stages of the service life of a transition zone (new - used - heavily used) are simulated. From the results two main conclusion can be drawn. First, the vertical acceleration is able to show the changes in differential settlement and stiffness that are occurring at transition zones. The indicators for these changes are the frequency responses with a wavelength between 1.2 < 𝜆 < 5 meters. This shows that ABA is a powerful non-invasive monitoring technique for long wavelength track irregularities. Second, the multi body simulation software is able to model complex railway tracks. The software shows the same characteristic frequencies as the measurement data does.
The results of this investigation could especially be of interest for asset owners and contractors. By showing that ABA measurements tends to be an effective way of monitoring transition zones, predictive maintenance could be implemented which saves time and high costs. ...

De wissel die nooit faalt

Bachelor thesis (2022) - L. Mortier, E. Schrik, V.L. Markine, Ricks Schalk, R.P.B.J. Dollevoet
Dit rapport behandelt een wissel die geen bewegende delen bezit en hierdoor geen controle circuit nodig heeft. Het rapport bezit een analyse van verschillende bestaande wissels en wisselconcepten, beide in hoofdspoor en tramspoor, om een evaluatie te geven van elk concept. Op deze manier is bepaald of een zodanig "statische wissel" wenselijk is in het Nederlandse spoor. Er is vastgesteld dat dit niet het geval is, daarentegen andere wissels wel. Er wordt daarom aangeraden om meer onderzoek te doen naar deze andere aanpassingen aan wissels.

This report considers a switch that does not have moving parts and therefore has no control circuit. The report contains an analysis on current existing switches and switch designs, in heavyrail but also tramrail, to give an evaluation of the different concepts. This way it was determined if a so called "static switch" could be wished for in the Dutch Railroads. It was concluded that this kind of switch was not profitable, but other switches were. Recommended was, that certain (existing) changes in switch designs should be looked into more. ...
Bachelor thesis (2022) - A.J.M.J. van Niekerk, V.L. Markine, Z. Li, E. Schrik
In het gebied Apeldoorn – Dieren ligt een oude spoorlijn van de Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij die op dit moment alleen nog voor toeristisch gebruik wordt geëxploiteerd. Om de bereikbaarheid van het gebied te vergroten wordt er onderzoek gedaan naar de mogelijkheid om hier een railgebonden voertuig op de introduceren. Dit leidt tot de vraag; “Hoe kan in het gebied Apeldoorn – Dieren een railgebonden voertuig worden geïntroduceerd op de oude spoorlijn van de VSM?” Om deze vraag te beantwoorden is er gekeken naar verschillende aspecten. Het gaat hier om de aanwezige infrastructuur, soorten railgebonden voertuigen, relevante referentieprojecten, verschillende technische aspecten, duurzame energietoevoer en aanpassingen die nodig zijn aan de infrastructuur om dit te realiseren. De lijn bestaat uit de stations Apeldoorn, Beekbergen, Loenen, Eerbeek en Dieren. De stoomtrein heeft een eigen dienstregeling en rijdt in het hoogseizoen ongeveer twee keer per dag. De huidige infrastructuur geeft beperkingen voor de introductie van een railgebonden voertuig. Zo ligt er enkelspoor en is de maximale snelheid op de lijn 40 km/h. Voor het railgebonden voertuig is gekozen voor een light rail voertuig. Dit is een licht voertuig wat snel kan accelereren. Verder mag er om de historische waarde van de VSM lijn te behouden, geen bovenleiding worden aangelegd. Om deze reden is er onderzoek gedaan naar verschillende soorten energietoevoer. Vanwege duurzaamheidsredenen en de aanwezige infrastructuur is er gekozen voor een batterij. De energie zal komen van windmolens die in de provincie geplaatst worden. Met behulp van de referentieprojecten zijn er verschillende technische aspecten uitgelicht. Hieruit is voort gekomen dat het van belang is dat de wissels en wielen goed op elkaar afgestemd zijn. Wanneer de wielen te klein of te groot zijn voor de wissels, kan dit zorgen voor ontsporingen, zoals gebeurd is bij de RandstadRail. Verder zijn de perronhoogte, seinen en communicatie tijdens de uitvoering van het project van belang om conflicten te voorkomen. Kijkend naar en rekening houdend met deze aspecten zijn er verschillende aanpassingen nodig aan de lijn om een railgebonden voertuig daarop te introduceren. Dit betreft onder andere de laadinfrastructuur op de perrons van Dieren en Apeldoorn. Verder zijn er ook verscheidene aanpassingen langs de lijn zelf nodig. Denk hierbij aan het verlengen van perrons en het plaatsen van wissels en extra stukken rails. Met behulp van deze aanpassingen is het mogelijk om een voertuig te introduceren wat er 35 minuten over doet om van Apeldoorn naar Dieren rijdt en andersom. Deze zal één keer per ruim half uur rijden. Echter, reflecterend op het onderzoek zijn er verscheidene aannames gemaakt die het niet reëel maken om een railgebonden voertuig op deze lijn te introduceren. Er is al een buslijn aanwezig met dezelfde frequentie die er een kwartiertje langer over doet. Voor de aanpassingen die gemaakt moeten worden aan de infrastructuur weegt dit niet op tegen de gevonden resultaten. Verder is er geen onderzoek gedaan naar de bereikbaarheid en is het niet bekend of de aanname dat deze verhoog moet worden, juist is. ...
In this thesis Axle Box Acceleration (ABA) data is used to determine the health condition of Insulated Rail Joints (IRJs) to investigate the potential of ABA data in predictive maintenance. Using frequency characteristics from the Continuous Wavelet Transformation (CWT), the main research question “How can Axle Box Acceleration data be used in automatic classification of specific defect types at Insulated Rail Joints?” is investigated and answered. ...
Master thesis (2021) - K. El Laham, V.L. Markine, R.P.B.J. Dollevoet, J.J.J. Wegdam, Haoyu Wang, Neda Sepasian
Track quality measures differ from standard to standard. Widely used indices for track quality are the standard deviations of the rail longitudinal level data and the standard deviations of alignment data. Researchers have opted for various learning methods as to relate track quality to different parameters. Some research has gone to the point of using track quality interchangeably with the notion of defect density. What is common in all researches is that a track quality index is used as label for predictions. The differences are inherent to the variables/features that were chosen to conduct such predictions. With the plethora of data at the hands of asset managers nowadays, it has become easier to opt for these learning methods. Machine Learning classification is a method wherein a number of features are used to classify a datapoint into a label. With thorough learning, by inputting the features, the label would then be predicted. The features of interest in this project are structural elements describing the track sections. This can go from the sleeper type and subsoil type all the way to the distance from the nearest switch or bridge. This will allow for the relationships between the structural elements and the track’s quality to be bolstered all the while creating a predictor based on data that need not be measured. The research question is thus formulated as follows: How to relate track quality in a section to its surrounding structural elements and form a predictor out of it? 1.What structural elements are to be studied? 2.How to automate the generation of the features? 3.Which classifier algorithm yields the most accurate predictions? 4.Which structural features are the most important in predicting track quality? The research question is divided into 4 sub-research questions each pertaining to a part of the research. 1.Decide on which structural elements are the most relevant for the study. Some elements may be redundant with respect to other elements. For instance, subsoil type and ballast settlement could form a redundancy. This will be decided on from the literature. This part will contribute to a section in the thesis in which a strong relation will be drawn with respect to the courses taken and studied at the TU Delft. 2.Data Gathering is a huge part of this research. Input data will be from Fugro’s relative track geometry data and KRDZ data. In addition, ProRail’s informatieportaal, which is a website containing all the railway assets and their locations on the map will also be of huge aid to gather the structural elements data. The answer to this sub-research question lies in automating the structural feature generation, making them ready for learning. 3.Running the Machine Learning classification code on sections of a real-life track and comparing the accuracies of each classification algorithm as to come up with recommendations for future work. 4.Some machine learning algorithms, namely the random forest classifier have in their output an importance of features measure. This will give us insight on which structural elements affect track quality the most, which would allow for better resource allocation in the long run. In the goal of answering all the research questions and to realize the research objective, an outline of the research is included in this report along with a workflow diagram. The project has shown that predicting track quality using structural elements and relative track geometry can be done using classification methods, on the condition that the predicted track and the trained track have similar feature importance values, and that structural features that are displayed in the track to predict are also available in the trained model. ...

How circularity can be applied in railway

Bachelor thesis (2021) - J. Kloet, V.L. Markine, W. Cao

Automatic train operation

Bachelor thesis (2021) - L. Boer, V.L. Markine, E. Schrik, R. de Zutter
Het aantal treinreizigers stijgt elk jaar. Binnenkort zal de huidige capaciteit van het treinvervoer worden
overstegen. Een oplossing voor dit probleem is het automatiseren van treinen. Rijden onder automatic
train operation (ATO) gaat in verschillende stappen. De hogere niveau’s, GoA3 (zonder machinist)
en GoA4 (zonder machinist en conducteur), hebben de meeste sociale impact. In dit proces naar
automatisering is maatschappelijke acceptatie een belangrijke stap. Het doel van dit onderzoek is om uit te zoeken wat reizigers vinden van het feit dat er in de toekomst treinen misschien zonder machinist rijden en dat er wellicht ook geen conducteur meer aan boord
is om de sociale veiligheid te waarborgen. De onderzoeksvraag van dit onderzoek luidt: "Wat is de
veiligheidsperceptie van Nederlandse reizigers op het implementeren van ATO onder GoA3 en GoA4?". ...
Soil is an important part of a railway track structure. It provides the foundation for the structure and distributes the imposed loads. Consequently, soil has an influence on the condition of a track structure and a low quality soil can ultimately cause failure of the track structure. To be able to include the condition of a soil in the assessment on track quality, the following research question is posed:
“What is the quantitative influence of soil on the track condition for the railway tracks between Utrecht and Den Bosch?”

To be able to answer the research question, first the influence of soil on track condition is distinguished. The most important failure types, progressive shear failure and excessive plastic deformation, are best characterised by the strength of the soil and the deformation of the tracks respectively. For these characteristics a method is developed, which assesses the track condition. For strength a bearing capacity approach is used and for deformations a beam-on-an-elastic-foundation model is used. The process of the method is illustrated by executing it for a specific trajectory, being the Utrecht-Den Bosch line in the Netherlands. To take into account the variability of different soils, the soil type and some specific soil parameters derived from Cone Penetration Tests are determined and applied in the calculations for the assessment.

From the results can be concluded that for the Utrecht-Den Bosch line, the track quality considering passenger trains will either deteriorate limitedly or not at all. This is the case for quality related to both strength and deformation. For cargo trains, the quality related to deformation is such that limited deterioration can be expected. For strength, however, a large number of sections has a condition varying between the failure level and the desired level, which means that significant deterioration is possible, though, there are sections with higher quality as well.
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Bachelor thesis (2021) - L.J.W. ten Hove, V.L. Markine, R.P.B.J. Dollevoet
Nederland heeft ongeveer 7000 km spoor en bij het onderhoud daaraan komt er jaarlijks ongeveer 500 duizend ton aan ballast vrij. Het zou dus mooi zijn als dit allemaal hergebruikt kan worden. Maar doordat het ballast tijdens de levensduur vervuild en versleten raakt kan dit niet zomaar. De ballast wordt als chemisch afval beschouwd doordat er zware metalen in zitten door slijtage van metalen com- ponenten rondom het spoor.
Het doel van dit rapport is om antwoord te geven op de hoofdvraag: ’Hoe kan ballast een circulair materiaal worden?’
Ballast is wordt vaak gebruikt voor spoorwegen omdat het relatief goedkoop is om aan te leggen en omdat het makkelijk te onderhouden is. Ballast wordt altijd uit het buitenland geïmporteerd omdat het in Nederland niet voorkomt. Vaak uit Duitsland, Noorwegen of België.
Circulariteit staat voor het zo weinig mogelijk gebruiken van materiaal, het hoogwaardig hergebruiken van materiaal en het recyclen van materiaal. Om ballast circulair te laten worden moeten er dus ten eerste zo weinig mogelijk gebruikt worden, moet het zo vaak mogelijk voor de spoorwegen hergebruikt worden en moet het daarna op een andere manier hoogwaardig hergebruikt worden.
Dit wordt al voor een groot deel gedaan maar kan nog beter. Door middel van horren en zeven op locatie wordt al veel ballast hergebruikt voor de spoorwegen. Maar daarna wordt het vaak afgevoerd en niet op een hoogwaardige manier hergebruikt. Het gebeurt wel dat ballast wordt hergebruikt in beton maar het wordt ook vaak vermengd met puinkorrel.
Voor de circulariteit is het belangrijk dat er alles wordt hergebruikt, dus ook het kleinere grind en zand. Dit kan ook op veel manieren worden hergebruikt in bijvoorbeeld beton, asfalt of voor decoratief gebruik.
Tenslotte zijn er ook alternatieven voor ballast onderzocht, want ballast zou pas echt circulair zijn als het er helemaal niet meer is. Er kan bijvoorbeeld beton gebruikt worden, echter is dit veel duurder. Ook kunnen er metaalslakken gebruikt worden, alleen moet er nog meer onderzoek gedaan worden naar de vervuiling die het kan veroorzaken.
Kortom, ballast kan een circulair materiaal worden door alles op een hoogwaardige manier her te ge- bruiken. Waarbij er dus geen restproducten zijn, ook niet bij de tweede levenscyclus. Hierbij is het belangrijk dat het ballast niet zijn waarde verliest en dat het wordt hergebruikt voor iets wat aan gelijkwaardige waarde is of zelfs nog meer waard is, zoals beton of asfalt. ...
Student report (2021) - J.J.J. Wegdam, V.L. Markine, Z. Li, P.H.A.J.M. van Gelder, I. Y. Shevtsov
Crossings are important yet vulnerable parts of a railway network. This warrants that, in the Netherlands (a country with high traffic loads), crossing geometry is measured twice per year by dedicated measurement vehicles. This produces so much (point cloud) data that prioritizing and predicting is not possible by hand. It can be done by automating the assessments, by an automated process of four steps: cleaning the data, generating relevant performance indicators (features) per measurement, drawing conclusions from all features and visualizing/communicating the results. This project encompasses the first three steps for the most common type of crossing (the 1:9 fixed UIC54 common crossing). The results show that the features yield useful information and insights for both prioritizing and predicting. ...

Creating a finite element model for hybrid plastic railway sleepers

Railway sleepers form an important part of a classic track structure. Sleepers exists in their current form for a long time. The transition from wood to concrete sleeper has been made, but wood is still used and present in many track sections. As creosoted wooden sleepers are not allowed to be installed on the tracks anymore the search for durable and sustainable alternatives has started. One promising type is a hybrid sleeper constructed from recycled plastic (polyethylene) with steel reinforcement. The main part of this thesis is to create a finite element model that is capable of describing hybrid plastic sleepers. The ultimate goal is to be able to use this model to assist in sleeper acceptation. Current rules, regulations and high availability requirements make it difficult to test sleepers in the track under live loading conditions. Not many infrastructure managers are eager to install not already proven technology in their tracks. The general parameters of the model were investigated and combined with some specific finite element modelling methods. Those formed the starting point of the design. Important design methods were the parametrisation of the model as much as possible to allow assessment of slightly different models. Secondly a mapped mesh was preferred above a free mesh to improve on accuracy. Also the amount of detail is kept high to be able to fully investigate the sleepers, e.g. to investigate the reinforcement bond. The ANSYS APDL-language is used to program the FEM parametrically. This resulted in a comprehensive finite element model of one a whole sleeper. Fully modelled with base plate (without detailed fastening), rail pad and rail section. Every part is constructed out of solids and meshed with a mapped mesh including the reinforcement. Two model methods, a general circular and a more element wise optimal octagonal model, were used to generate the reinforcement. All single sleeper models can be connected to form a piece of track with several possibilities in altering the foundation parameters per sleeper or allowing for different types of sleepers inside the track. Concluding all generated finite element analysis (FEA) results could not impress enough to recommend the usage of FEA for sleeper acceptation. Especially with new, very non-linear behaving materials and a very dynamic loads, the effort involved in creating a validated finite element model (FEM) would be too great and the results not usable enough. For some parts a FEM can be beneficial, during design for example. Other simpler models than the one constructed here could be helpful if directly based on test results. But at least at this point in time, with relatively unknown materials, the direct testing of sleepers under loading conditions laboratory and in the track itself with close monitoring are regarded much more informative. ...

Analysis method based on dynamic behaviour of a high-speed slab track and settlements in the substructure

Master thesis (2021) - R.J.W. Bloem, V.L. Markine, R.P.B.J. Dollevoet, F. Pisano, A.A. Hertogs
In this master thesis the behaviour of a high speed railway track constructed on top of a pile foundation with settlements under a dynamic load has been analysed. Therefore, a model was developed in the software program DARTS, dynamic analysis of rail track structures. In DARTS the railway track was modelled by stiff and elastic layers, which were loaded by a moving train load. The train was modelled as a mass spring system. The results of DARTS were analysed and validated with field measurements of the HSL. After the validation of the model multiple simulations were performed to analyse the structure for different uncertainties and possible solutions. These simulations showed that the model in DARTS is sensitive for changes of the pile stiffness. The results also show that it is difficult to model permanent displacements in DARTS. ...
Bachelor thesis (2020) - Jorn van Akker, Valeri Markine, Zhen Yang
Transitiezones zorgen in de railbouwkunde al geruime tijd voor problemen. De werkelijke oorzaken van deze overgangen van regulier spoor naar een civiel kunstwerk blijven onduidelijk, terwijl de onderhoudskosten significant hoger zijn ten opzichte van andere delen van het spoor. Daarom is het interessant om meer inzicht te krijgen in deze transitiezones en welke responsies zij leveren bij een overrijdende trein.
Het doel van dit rapport is om deze responsies in kaart te brengen en vervolgens het effect van enkele maatregelen op deze responsies te toetsen. Dit leidt tot de volgende onderzoeksvraag: Hoe kunnen de responsies in een transitiezone met gebruik van de eindige-elementenmethode in een model worden verduidelijkt?
Voor het modelleren wordt gebruikgemaakt van het eindige-elementenmethodeprogramma Ansys. Als uitgangspunt voor het model wordt de labopstelling van de TU Delft genomen. In deze opstelling bestaat de transitiezone uit een bak met ballast met daaroverheen een spoorweg. Aan de uiteinden vormen stalen liggers het regulier spoor en het civiel kunstwerk.
Het gecreëerde model wordt vergeleken met de analytische Zimmermanmethode om het model te kunnen valideren. Verder geeft het Ansysmodel extra inzicht in de directe overgang van regulier spoor op het civiel kunstwerk en kunnen ontstane spanningen beter worden bepaald.
Drie mogelijke maatregelen worden aangedragen om de spanningen en verplaatsingen te verminderen in de transitiezone, waardoor er een daling in de onderhoudskosten kan worden bereikt. Deze drie maatregelen, het verbreden van dwarsliggers, het aanbrengen van railframes en het verlijmen van ballast, zijn alle gericht op de bovenbouw, omdat deze op relatief korte termijn kunnen worden geïmplementeerd.
Wat betreft de zakkingen in y-richting worden deze bij alle drie maatregelen kleiner. Hierbij zorgen de verbrede dwarsliggers en de railframes voor enkele procenten mindering van de normale zakking. Het verlijmen van ballast heeft nog meer effect. Met deze maatregel kan de maximale zakking met meer dan dertig procent worden gereduceerd.
Als er gekeken wordt naar de verandering in spanning in het ballastbed en de ondergrond als gevolg van de voorgestelde maatregelen, kan een minder eenduidig beeld worden geschetst. Sommige spanningen nemen toe, terwijl andere spanningen kleiner worden. Wel kan worden gesteld dat door het verlijmen van ballast de spanning in de ondergrond toeneemt.
Om die reden is het niet mogelijk om één maatregel te kiezen die het beste werkt om de problemen in de transitiezone op te lossen. Op basis van de zakkingen heeft het verlijmen van ballast het meeste effect, terwijl de verbrede dwarsliggers en de railframes juist zorgen voor een afname ofwel het gelijk blijven van de spanningen in het ballastbed en de ondergrond. ...

Is een gewapende kunststof dwarsligger geschikt voor de Nederlandse spoorwegen op basis van 3- en 4-puntsbuigproeven?

Bachelor thesis (2020) - Luuk van der Drift, Valeri Markine, Aran van Belkom
Sinds 23 april 2019 is het verboden om hout met creosoot te behandelen. Hierdoor zijn de houten spoordwarsliggers een stuk minder duurzaam. Lankhorst Mouldings Sneek-Holland heeft 2 gewapende kunststof dwarsliggers ontworpen die een stuk duurzamer zijn, namelijk een HDPE-dwarsligger met 25 mm wapeningsstaal en een LDPE-dwarsligger met 16 mm wapeningsstaal. In dit onderzoek wordt onderzocht of de kunststof dwarsliggers van Lankhorst Mouldings Sneek-Holland geschikt zijn voor het gebruik in het spoornetwerk. Hiervoor is de volgende onderzoeksvraag opgesteld: Is een gewapende kunststof dwarsligger geschikt voor de Nederlandse spoorwegen op basis van 3- en 4-puntsbuigproeven? ...

Tool development for manual inspections of crossing geometry

Student report (2019) - Jeroen Wegdam, Valeri Markine, Xueyan Liu
Turnouts allow trains to change from one track to another. Therefore, they are an essential part of infrastructure to create and operate a railway network. This project focuses on the (common) crossing; the part of the turnout where the inner rails cross through one another. Because of the shape of the wheels, it is necessary to create a discontinuity in the rail at this location. As a consequence, wheels experience a disturbed support which causes wear, deformation and fatigue on the crossing. In the Netherlands, this problem has a high priority. This is because the Dutch railway network is unique in two ways; it is very dense and it has a high utilisation. Per km2 of land area, the Netherlands has the second highest amount of track length (right after Switzerland). Per km of track, the Netherlands has the second highest amount of passenger kilometres (right after Japan). The consequence is a set of 7000 that are relatively heavy loaded.
In order to extend the lifetime of these crossings, they have to be monitored and maintained. In present practise, some deformations have to be cut off and cracks have to be ground away. This ensures safe wheel passages and prevents fatigue related failures. Such practises are described well, within the current norms.
A less clear topic however, is the maintenance of geometry. Geometry is defined as the cross-sectional shape of the rail. As soon as the geometry of a crossing changes due to deformation and wear, the vehicle behaviour is influenced. Unfavourable geometry can lead to a big amplification of dynamic forces from passing wheelsets. For this reason, maintainers seek for favourable ways to assess and control the shape of worn/deformed crossings. ...

Expert tool for numerical and experimental assessment of turnout crossing geometry

Master thesis (2018) - Jeroen Wegdam, Valeri Markine, Rolf Dollevoet, Andrei Metrikine, Xiangming Liu, I.Y. Shevtsov
This thesis project discusses the development of a fast assessment tool for the performance of railway turnout crossings. The assessment tool is developed in Matlab and allows the user to swiftly set up a model and assess the performance. The rail geometry input can be either design drawings or in situ measured geometry. This allows the user to compare designed, delivered and deployed crossings. Comparisons are made between several types of 1:9 crossings, by assessing the designs from various countries. The vehicle-track interaction is modelled in the commercial multi-body system (MBS) analysis package VI-Rail. The simulations indicate that the automated workflow provides insights similar to manual modelling, while being much faster. The report ends with recommendations based on the geometry comparisons and simulation results. ...
Master thesis (2017) - Daniël Reijnen, Serge Hoogendoorn, Rob Goverde, Valeri Markine, Arjen Zoeteman
The current 1.5kV railway traction power supply system is reaching its limits in the Netherlands and therefore, ProRail is investigating the replacement of this system by the 3kV railway traction power supply system. This study will investigate how effective the 3kV traction power supply system can increase the capacity of the rail infrastructure in the Netherlands. It will also investigate if this system can avoid other capacity investments in the infrastructure. Several study cases will be executed in order to evaluate the capacity effects of the 3kV traction power supply system. ...