Simulation Study on Vertical Deformation of CRTS III Slab Track under Ambient Temperature and Its Upgrade to "Green Maintenance"

In view of the vertical deformation of CRTS III slab ballastless track of high-speed railways under the action of ambient temperature, a simulation model of the temperature field and vertical deformation of CRTS III slab ballastless track was developed and verified by a field test. The main conclusions are as follows: When the temperature gradient is positive, the central part of the slab track deforms upward. The edge of the slab track deforms downward. The displacement in the central part of the slab track is the largest, and the elliptical region is formed in the middle. The more outward the displacement is, the smaller the displacement is. When the temperature gradient is negative, the downward displacement in the middle of the slab track is the largest, an elliptical region is formed in the middle, and the outward displacement gradually changes from downward to upward. The model developed in this study can accurately reflect the temperature field inside the slab track and the vertical displacement of the slab track at the macro level. In practical application, the technical data can be provided for the maintenance of CRTS III slab tracks according to the simulation results. The temperature field distribution and possible deformation of the slab track can be obtained by adding simulated working conditions according to the climatic conditions. These predictions can be used to focus on targeted maintenance and repair to reduce the investment of human, material, and financial resources, and to achieve the purpose of "green maintenance".