Numerical analysis of a shaped rail pad under selected static load

Numerical analysis of selected type of the polyurethane rail pad is presented in the paper. A shaped pad with cylindrical-shaped elements in its working section was selected as a representative for the computational simulation. Analysis reflected the experimental test according to the valid standard. The test included loading of the vertical force perpendicular to the foot of the rail. Such test allows determining the static stiffness of the pad. The Mooney - Rivlin material model was selected in the current study. Necessary experimental tests including a uniaxial compression and tension were conducted to provide material constants for the hyperelastic material model applied for the FE model. Simplified FE models of the considered rail pad and the rail were developed. Rounded corners and edges of the cylindrical-shaped elements were omitted, since their modelling required a significant density of the FE mesh. Vertical force perpendicular to the foot of the rail was declared as nodal force distributed evenly along the edges of the selected finite element models Non-linear static analysis was performed using MSC.Marc software with large displacements and deformations taken into consideration. The obtained results allowed estimating deformations and the state of stress in a highly deformed rail pad. The static stiffness of the pad was defined as secant stiffness based on the vertical force - deflection curve.