The relatively high maintenance costs of the ballast track are related to the short lifecycle of the ballast layer. The current vertical ballast tamping technology (e.g., Plasser & Theurer, Matisa, etc.) causes high ballast destruction and is neither applicable for unconventional sleepers’ designs nor slab tracks. The side tamping method presents an alternative, ballast saving, and sleeper form independent ballast tamping technology. This paper compares the ballast layer compaction and its resistance to permanent settlements accumulation after the vertical and the side tamping methodologies. Scaled models of ballast layer and tamping units and scaled simulation with discrete element method (DEM) were applied for the comparison. In the laboratory tests, the ballast compaction along the sleeper was estimated using the measurements of elastic wave propagation. The settlements resistance for both tamping methods was estimated under the vibration loading. The tests’ results show 5–7% higher compactness of the ballast layer under the sleeper ends for the side tamping method. The settlement intensity of the ballast layer after the vertical tamping is higher than for the side tamping method. In discrete element modeling, the performed laboratory tests were simulated. The compactness of the ballast bed, as well as the residual stresses, were determined in MATLAB. The side tamping technology provided five times higher residual stresses in the ballast layer below the sleeper than in the case of vertical tamping, which can be explained by the more stable and dense layer resulting from the side tamping ensures higher interlocking between the grains. The simulation of the wave propagation shows an influence of the residual stresses on the wave propagation velocities. The simulated wave propagation velocity was more than two times higher for the side tamping than for the vertical one.

The present paper deals with the experimental investigation of interlocking effect of crushed stone ballast material, assessing it as the relationship with the residual and dynamic stresses under the ballast layer during laboratory dynamic tests with the consideration of different boundary conditions. The laboratory experiments were executed with a scaled model of ballast under the sleeper. The measured pressure at the bottom surface of the ballast has two parts: dynamic and residual. The dynamic part depends on the external loading; the residual part remains after unloading. The measured residual stress was observed up to 3 times higher than the stress due to cyclic external loading. The relationship of the residual stress and interlocking effect to ballast particles angularity is analyzed. A simple interpretation of the distribution of residual stress is proposed, that depends on the measured cyclic stress and the elasticity of bounding walls. The study of interlocking effect of ballast could be potentially useful for many practical problems of railway track design as well as for the track maintenance issues.

This research addresses the challenges of railway infrastructure degradation, focusing on optimizing ballasted track systems to reduce maintenance costs and improve sustainability. The study explores the application of wide sleepers, ranging from 270 mm to 570 mm in width, to enhance ballast performance by increasing the sleeper-ballast contact area. This optimization reduces stress concentrations, minimizes ballast degradation, slows the accumulation of vertical settlement, and extends tamping intervals, resulting in lower maintenance frequency and operational expenses. A multi-scale modeling approach combining the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM) was employed, with laboratory experiments validating the numerical findings. Additionally, alternative maintenance practices, such as side tamping, were suggested to be applied for wide sleeper tracks. LCC analyses reveal that while wide sleepers incur higher initial costs, they yield significant long-term savings, particularly when combined with ballast thickness optimization. By optimizing sleeper geometry, ballast material properties, and loading conditions, the research offers a technically robust and economically viable solution to enhance track durability, reduce infrastructure expenditures, and ensure long-term operational efficiency.