Water-Holding Capacity of Clogged Granite Crushed Stone

Purpose: To investigate the water-holding capacity of granite crushed stone ballast, with a stone fraction ranging from 5 to 25 millimetres. Methods: The experimental procedure was conducted within a designated container to ascertain the water-retention capabilities and degree of water saturation of granite crushed stone that is used as the primary material in the construction of railway tracks. Laboratory tests were conducted utilising varying percentages of clogging agent, ranging from 5 to 25 millimetres (10%, 20, 30, and 40% by mass of aggregate), within the grain composition of the crushed stone. Results: The test results demonstrate that clogging of crushed stone with particles ranging from 5 to 25 mm does not exert a significant influence onits water-holding capacity and degree of water saturation. In the presence of up to 40% by weight of clogging agent with a size of 5–25 mm in the crushed stone grain, the moisture content increased by no more than 0.4%, and the degree of water saturation did not exceed 0.04 p.u. (percentage unit) in conditions of an active railway track. Practical significance: The clogging of crushed stone in a track ballast layer with 5–25 mm-size fractions and a mass percentage of up to 40% has negligible impact on the water-holding capacity and degree of water saturation. This phenomenon does not exert a substantial influence on the reduction of strength and deformation characteristics of the crushed stone.