Abstract
In this paper the application of polymer geocomposite technology to the reduction/elimination of long standing railway track faults is presented. The polymers used are urethane cross linked polymers that are applied directly to the ballast matrix using on site mixing equipment. Application of the urethane cross linked polymers allows a high degree of visco-elasticity and hence polymer damping characteristics. The formed structure cures within seconds to form a resilient and very strong polymer/ballast geocomposite. The paper describes how the polymer improves the engineering properties of the in situ ballast and presents typical laboratory studies on engineering behaviour. Finite element simulations of railway track response before and after polymer application are included to show how the polymer geocomposite behaves under actual train loading. A typical application of the technique to a highspeed, high axle load switch and crossing on the UK West Coast Main Line is described.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields |
| Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of the 8th International Conference (BCR2A'09), June 29 - July 2 2009, Urbana - Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA [ |
| Editors | E Tutumluer, IL AlQadi |
| Place of Publication | Boca Raton |
| Publisher | CRC Press |
| Pages | 1273-1282 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Volume | 1 and 2 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0-415-87199-0 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
| Event | 8th International Conference on the Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields - Champaign Duration: 29 Jun 2009 → 2 Jul 2009 |
Conference
| Conference | 8th International Conference on the Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields |
|---|---|
| City | Champaign |
| Period | 29/06/09 → 2/07/09 |
Keywords
- SPEED