Evaluation of Railroad Bridge Foundation Response to Insulation Application under Cold Regions

Abstract

To establish an integrated railroad network in the Korean Peninsula, in preparation for the unification era presented in the 3rd National Rail Network Construction Plan (2016–2025) and the Railroad Industry Development Basic Plan, a preemptive response to construct railroad infrastructure considering the low temperature in North Korea during winter is essential. In this study, extensive numerical analyses were conducted to evaluate the behavior of railroad bridge foundations while accounting for the climate and geological conditions of North Korea. Furthermore, we proposed additional items that need to be addressed in the current railroad roadbed design standards. Eventually, we found that taking measures, such as application of insulation, to alleviate frost damage due to the increase in the adfreezing strength of railroad bridge foundations in cold regions where the freezing index is more than 1,000 ℃ day is necessary.