Viscoelastic deformation behavior of cement and emulsified asphalt mortar in China railway track system I prefabricated slab track

Under repeated train-induced loads, cement and emulsified asphalt mortar (CA mortar) as a viscoelastic material has a time-dependent deformation, part of which is irreversible. This could lead to debonding between the mortar layer and the track slab. Based on the theory of viscoelasticity and the analytical method of the time hardening law (THL), the viscoelastic deformation behavior of CA mortar was studied. Using ABAQUS, we established a solid model of China railway track system (CRTS) I prefabricated slab track, with CA mortar at different initial Young’s moduli under cyclic loading corresponding to the influence of actual train loads. The results reveal that the fitted parameters of the THL for CA mortar are suitable for describing its viscoelastic deformation. As the initial Young’s modulus increases, the strain difference before and after cyclic loading gradually decreases, and the displacement difference increases from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. The deformation mainly occurs at the end of a mortar layer with longitudinal distribution of about 2.5 times the fasteners’ spacing. It follows that the viscoelastic performance of CA mortar is one of the most important reasons that cause debonding underneath the track slab. Therefore, we suggest that the adverse effects of viscoelastic behavior of CA mortar should be considered when researching such deformation and damage.