NEW TRACKBED INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES
The relationship between poor railway track quality and trackbed condition is discussed. The combined application of ground penetrating radar (GPR), the automatic ballast sampler (ABS) and the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) may yield sufficient information to enable optimisation of renewals and the development of a maintenance strategy for a 10-year period. GPR is used for estimating ballast depth, deterioration or contamination. Readings are taken from between each pair of sleepers and may be conducted without disrupting train operation. ABS is used to obtain 65 mm diameter samples of the ballast and trackbed, typically to 1 m depth, kept as a core in a clear sealable plastic liner for later analysis. FWD is a non-destructive device designed to apply a 12.5 t load to the trackbed so that transient deflections may be measured. The best quality track is achieved on a trackbed of uniform stiffness. Three case studies in the UK are provided. The methods are anticipated to improve track maintenance at a minimum whole-life cost.
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Corporate Authors:
Thomas Telford Limited
London, United Kingdom -
Authors:
- GRAINGER, P
- Conference:
- Publication Date: 2001-11
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: References;
- Pagination: p. 211-5
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Serial:
- Volume: 147
- Issue Number: 4
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Ballast (Railroads); Costs; Maintenance; Methodology; Railroad tracks; Samples; Sampling; Stiffness; Surveillance
- Uncontrolled Terms: Ballast
- Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
- ITRD Terms: 4559: Coarse aggregate; 224: Cost; 3847: Maintenance; 9102: Method; 1062: Railway track; 6251: Sample (mater); 6253: Sampling; 5931: Stiffness; 9101: Surveillance; 8119: United Kingdom
- Subject Areas: Finance; Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00820888
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
- Files: ITRD, ATRI
- Created Date: Dec 5 2001 12:00AM