Service life prediction of ballastless track concrete under the coupling effect of fatigue loads and environmental actions: a review

With regard to concrete materials used in the infrastructure of high-speed railway (HSR), the properties and service life are influenced not only by the fatigue loads caused by the running train but also by the environmental actions including CO2 gas, chloride ions, freeze-thaw cycles and acid rain erosion, etc. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the service life prediction of concrete under the coupling effect of fatigue loads and environmental actions. Previous studies suggested that the deterioration rate of concrete by the coupling effect is accelerated compared with that by single fatigue loads or environmental actions, which lead to shorter service life. More studies are needed to clarify coupling mechanisms especially with respect to the concrete failure caused by fatigue or environmental attack, whichever is first.