Dynamic Axle Load Effects on High-speed Railway Embankment: Pore Pressure and Deformation in Varied Subsoils

The high-speed rail networks are engineered to enable rapid and effective transit. They are expected to be fully functional even during adverse operational conditions such as heavy rain, fluctuating water level, and the dynamic nature of external loadings. However, several case histories and recent research development exhibited the limitations of the effectiveness of embankment stability confronted with severe and prolonged precipitation and adverse saturated subsoil conditions. Besides, the mechanism of shear reinforcement and the effects of soil-water characteristics on the dynamic stability of embankment needs to be better understood. Therefore, conducting dynamic analyses for high-speed railways (HSR) considering fluctuating saturated subsoil conditions is vital for railway embankment's structural robustness and operational serviceability. The presented study focuses on the dynamic analysis of an HSR embankment, considering the intricate interaction between pore pressure dynamics and associated deformations. The embankment positioned alongside the railway track is subjected to varying levels of precipitation and groundwater exposure. The analysis commences with a gravitational assessment, probing the embankment's behavior under the influence of both elastic and plastic properties inherent to the constituent soil layers. Employing a 2D dynamic inelastic framework, the study rigorously integrates the reciprocal influence of pore-pressure dynamics and deformation effects. This sophisticated analysis methodology leverages the OPENSEES framework. Implications of interaction between the degree and extent of saturation in the subsoil and associated embankment deformation are also discussed.