Railroad ballast exhibits distinct morphological characteristics represented by shape irregularity, corner angularity, and surface texture. Upon repeated train loading, the morphology of ballast undergoes inevitable degradation, particularly in terms of its corner sharpness, which can affect track performance and even pose a substantial threat to operational safety. These aspects have rarely been captured insightfully in most DEM studies on ballast. In contrast, this study examines the influence of particle angularity on the deformation and degradation behaviour of railway ballast upon repeated loading using the discrete element method (DEM). The angularity of ballast particles is captured and quantified using the CT scanning technology in conjunction with an image-based processing strategy, after which the irregularly shaped particles are reconstructed in the DEM. In this numerical procedure, aggregates with varying angularities are created by incorporating a particle degradation subr
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