An artificial neural network model as a preliminary track design tool

Abstract

The formula derived from Zimmermann s theory is commonly used in railway track design. However, this formula depends on variables such as the ballast coefficient, which are difficult to determine. In recent years, numerical models have been widely used as they allow the track to be studied as a complete system in which the input variables are known. However, the computation time of numerical models is often very large. This paper presents a pre-design tool that is based on an artificial neural network (ANN). This tool permits the efficient determination of the independent variables of the model, which depend on the track characteristics, the height of the embankment and the quality of the material used to form the embankment. The main advantage of the ANN model is the optimization of the design process, providing a pre-design scenario in which the independent variables are calculated on the basis of the vertical displacement of the rail top, which is the output of the ANN. This leads to significant savings in the computational time required to solve the finite element model.