RAILWAY TRACK DESIGN. IN: HANDBOOK OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

This chapter describes how railway track consists of superstructure and a substructure. The superstructure is composed of steel rails fastened to crossties. The rails are designed to support and guide flanged steel wheels through their prescribed position is space. The superstructure is placed on as substructure and the substructure is composed of a layered system of materials known as ballast, subballast, and subgrade. Special track components are added to perform needed functions. These include switches to divert trains from one track to another, crossing diamonds to permit one track to cross another, level grade crossings to permit roads to cross over the train track at the same elevation, types of warning devices such as hot bearing detectors, and dragging equipment detectors. The last example is rail attached directly to a reinforced concrete slab in a tunnel or to a bridge structure. The subsurface incorporates a drainage system to remove water from the track. The track design needs to consider soil and rock conditions, weather conditions (precipitation, temperature) traffic requirements (wheel loads, total annual tonnage), and maintenance costs for the designed track. This chapter provides a listing of design functions, a description of design methods, and references to sources of information on design details.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0071391223
• Corporate Authors:

  McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

  330 West 42nd Street
  New York, NY  United States  10036
• Authors:
  • Selig, E T
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge substructures; Design; Information dissemination; Precipitation (Meteorology); Railroad rails; Railroad tracks; Steel ties; Superstructures; Track components; Transportation engineering; Warning devices; Weather conditions
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00988762
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0071391223
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 27 2005 12:00AM