CONSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCE OF ASPHALT BASED TRACK ON BRITISH RAILWAYS

This paper describes the design and construction of an experimental asphalt based track installed by the Research and Development Division of British Railways in collaboration with Esso Research Centre. The track construction comprises a 230 mm thick asphalt base overlying a sand blanket on a marl formation, supporting four different types of concrete superstructure to which the rails are fixed. Details of the various types of track superstructure are described together with measurements of the strains in the asphalt under test trains and their relation to theoretical strain predictions. The overall performance of the asphalt based tracks so far has been good and in particular the retention of the initial track geometry under traffic has been excellent. The initial costs were higher than those of conventional ballasted track, and the paper concludes with some ideas for reducing the costs of asphalt based tracks.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Special Publication of the Institute of Asphalt Technology. Reprints of papers given by UK contributors to the Eurobitume Symposium 1981.
• Corporate Authors:

  INSTITUTE OF ASPHALT TECHNOLOGY

  PAPER MEWS PLACE, 290 HIGH STREET
  DORKING, SURREY  United Kingdom  RH4 1QT
• Authors:
  • Cope, D L
• Conference:
  • Special Publication of the Institute of Asphalt Technology. Reprints of papers given by UK contributors to the Eurobitume Symposium 1981.
• Publication Date: 1982-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: p. 241-244

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Asphalt; Base course (Pavements); Bituminous mixtures; Concrete; Concrete slab track; Conferences; Construction management; Costs; Deformation; Marl; Measurement; Mix design; Pavement design; Railroad tracks; Sand; Structural design; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Base; Cost analysis; Track geometry
• Old TRIS Terms: Track structures
• ITRD Terms: 4967: Bituminous mixture; 4755: Concrete; 8525: Conference; 3666: Construction method; 224: Cost; 5595: Deformation; 4119: Marl; 6136: Measurement; 4714: Mix design; 3055: Pavement design; 1062: Railway track; 2961: Roadbase; 4105: Sand
• Subject Areas: Construction; Finance; Highways; Pavements; Public Transportation; Railroads; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00373765
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 30 1983 12:00AM