Ballastless Tracks

Due to increasing traffic flows the extension of transport infrastructure with rail roads and high speed lines is an ongoing process worldwide. Ballastless track systems with concrete slabs are used more and more.

Following the first trials in the 1970s and more than four decades of R&D work on ballastless track, the level of development is such that it can be confirmed that ballastless track is suitable for use as an alternative to ballasted track. This book makes a contribution to the state of the art of ballastless track by describing the basics for designing the ballastless track. Important advice is provided regarding the construction of ballastless track on earthworks and in tunnels. There is also a description of the technical history of the development of ballastless track on bridges and the ensuing findings for bridge design. The state of the art of ballastless track for switches, important information on details concerning drainage, transitions, accessibility for road vehicles and experience gleaned from maintenance round off the work.

 

Selected chapters from the German concrete yearbook are now being published in the new English “Beton-Kalender Series” for the benefit of an international audience.

Since it was founded in 1906, the Ernst & Sohn “Beton-Kalender” has been supporting developments in reinforced and prestressed concrete. The aim was to publish a yearbook to reflect progress in “ferro-concrete” structures until – as the book’s first editor, Fritz von Emperger (1862-1942), expressed it – the “tempestuous development” in this form of construction came to an end. However, the “Beton-Kalender” quickly became the chosen work of reference for civil and structural engineers, and apart from the years 1945-1950 has been published annually ever since.

 

1 Introduction and state of the art
1.1 Introductory words and definition
1.2 Comparison between ballasted track and ballastless track
1.3 Basic ballastless track types in Germany - the state of the art
1.3.1 Developments in Germany
1.3.2 Sleeper framework on continuously reinforced slab
1.3.3 Continuously reinforced slab with discrete rail seats
1.3.4 Precast concrete slabs
1.3.5 Special systems for tunnels and bridges
1.3.6 Further developments
1.3.7 Conclusion
1.4 Ballastless track systems and developments in other countries (examples)
2 Design
2.1 Basic principles
2.1.1 Regulations
2.1.2 Basic loading assumptions
2.2 Material parameters - assumptions
2.2.1 Subsoil
2.2.2 Unbound base layer
2.2.3 Base layer with hydraulic binder
2.2.4 Slab
2.3 Calculations
2.3.1 General
2.3.2 Calculating the individual rail seat loads
2.3.3 Calculating bending stresses in a system with continuously supported track panel
2.3.4 System with individual rail seats
2.3.5 Example calculation
2.4 Further considerations
2.4.1 Intermediate layers
2.4.2 Temperature effects
2.4.3 Finite element method (FEM)
3 Developing a ballastless track
3.1 General
3.2 Laboratory tests
3.2.1 Rail fastening test
3.2.2 Testing elastic components
3.2.3 Tests on tension clamps
3.3 Lateral forces analysis
4 Ballastless track on bridges
4.1 Introduction and history
4.1.1 Requirements for ballastless track on bridges
4.1.2 System-finding
4.1.2.1 Geometric restraints
4.1.2.2 Acoustics
4.1.2.3 Design
4.1.3 System trials and implications for later installation
4.1.4 Measurements during system trials
4.1.5 Regulations and planning guidance for laying ballastless track on bridges
4.1.6 The Cologne-Rhine/Main and Nuremberg?Ingolstadt lines
4.1.7 VDE 8 - new forms of bridge construction
4.2 Systems for ballastless track on bridges
4.2.1 The principle behind ballastless track on long bridges
4.2.2 Ballastless track components on long bridges
4.2.3 Ballastless track on short bridges
4.2.4 Ballastless track on long bridges
4.2.5 The bridge areas of ballastless tracks
4.2.6 End anchorage
4.3 The challenging transition zone
4.3.1 General
4.3.2 The upper and lower system superstructure way and bridge
4.3.4 General actions and deformations at bridge ends
4.3.5 Summary of actions
4.3.6 Supplementary provisions for ballastless track on bridges and analyses
4.3.7 Measures for complying with limit values
4.3.8 Summary, consequences and outlook
5 Selected topics
5.1 Additional maintenance requirements to be considered in the design
5.2 Switches in ballastless track in the Deutsche Bahn network
5.3 Ballastless track maintenance
5.4 Inspections
5.4.1 General
5.4.2 Cracking and open joints
5.4.3 Anchors for fixing sleepers
5.4.4 Loosening of sleepers
5.4.5 Additional inspections
5.5 Ballastless track repairs
5.5.1 Real examples of repairs
5.5.2 Renewing rail seats
5.5.3 Repairing anchor bolts
5.5.4 Dealing with settlement
5.5.5 Defective sound absorption elements
5.6 Drainage
5.6.1 General
5.6.2 Draining surface water
5.6.3 Drainage between tracks
5.6.4 Strip between tracks
5.6.5 Cover to sides of ballastless track
5.7 Transitions
5.7.1 General
5.7.2 Transitions in substructure and superstructure
5.7.3 Welding and insulated rail joints
5.7.4 Transitions between bridges/tunnels and earthworks
5.7.5 Transitions between ballastless and ballasted track
5.7.6 Transitions between different type of ballastless track
5.8 Accessibility for road vehicles
5.8.1 General
5.8.2 Designing for road vehicles
5.8.3 Designing for road vehicle loads
5.9 Sound absorption elements
5.9.1 General
5.9.2 Construction and acoustic requirements
5.9.3 Special requirements for materials and construction
References

• By (author) Stephan Freudenstein
• By (author) Konstantin Geisler
• By (author) Tristan Mölter
• By (author) Michael Mißler
• By (author) Christian Stolz
• Series edited by Konrad Bergmeister
• Series edited by Frank Fingerloos
• Series edited by Johann-Dietrich Wörner