Evaluation of Reaction Forces on Rail-Supporting Points for Sleeper Floating Track System Using a Skin Sensor

Resilience pads provide elastic behavior and reduce impact and vibration loads in sleeper floating tracks, but their long-term degradation affects critical track components. Their performance is currently measured using labor-intensive, expensive restricted field sampling and indoor static stiffness testing, which cannot reliably measure entire track sections. The objective of this study was to measure and analyze a rail’s supporting-point reaction force (pressure) using a skin sensor according to the train load (as the force changes with spring stiffness) and the resilience pad spring stiffness of the sleeper floating track. To evaluate the rail-supporting-point reaction force of the sleeper floating track, a skin sensor was installed at the bottom of the concrete sleeper, and the reaction force was measured according to the train load. Laboratory testing demonstrated that resilience pad spring stiffness affects the rail-supporting-point reaction force. Field measurements of the train load were used to examine the sleeper floating track’s supporting-point reaction force and the resilience pad’s spring stiffness, confirming field applicability. Therefore, this innovative skin-sensor-based assessment technique for reaction forces at rail-support points may predict resilience pad replacement and identify anomalies in real time, making it easier to assess performance and diagnose sleeper floating tracks.