An experimental research on the properties of Sicilian railroad ballast aggregates to the EN 13450:2002

For the usual railway track, the railroad ballast is an fundamental factor for equally distributing all the loads and for drainage purposes. The railroad ballast still helps to correct eventual problems while building the railway. The railroad ballast aggregates have to be gifted with specific requisites in terms of physical and mechanical characteristics. The European Standard EN 13450:2002 specifies the properties of aggregates obtained by processing natural or manufactured materials or recycled crushed unbound aggregates for use in construction of railway track. Such standard provides for the evaluation of conformity of products to this European Standard. The knowledge of ballast characteristics is indispensable to make modeling that correctly shows the mechanical behaviour of railway track to the loading applied when a train runs on a regular track. An experimental research has been carried out, focused on conformity of some aggregates to the UNI EN 13450:2003 and on properties being useful to describe the mechanical behaviour of ballast.