Dynamic behaviour of high-speed rail fastenings in the presence of desert sand  

High-speed lines in Saudi Arabia are subjected to sandstorms. These environmental conditions are not established at laboratory level. This work studies the influence of the presence of sand on the dynamic behaviour of the fastening system. So the evolution of the system is analysed under simulated sandstorm conditions and it is compared with the standard one. Results indicate that the presence of sand in the fastening system generates wear on the sleeper and increases the stiffness after the fatigue test. However, this fact does not modify both the mechanical behaviour and the durability of the individual elements