Neoloy® Geocells Railway Track Reinforcement Improves Quality and Reduces Maintenance in Railway Construction
Neoloy Geocell 3D mechanical stabilizationtechnology maintains track geometry and reduces maintenance by 6.7x
The Railway Construction Challenge
Railway track geometry and maintenance is very sensitive to the track substructure, subgrade and/or ballast conditions and train speeds and loads. In fact, the cost of maintaining such infrastructure over time (Total Cost of Ownership) determines the economic worthiness and success of track engineering solutions and not the initial railway construction or rehabilitation cost.
The Neoloy Geocell Track Reinforcement Solution
Neoloy Geocells, at the ballast/subgrade interface area have been shown to decrease the rate of track surface geometry degradation (both surface and cross-level) under a range of traffic loadings.
The ability of Neoloy railway track reinforcement solutions to reduce the rate of degradation, particularly in these high degradation rate locations, is of great value for both in the construction of new railway lines and in the maintenance of existing lines.
The railway construction benefits are better track quality, higher train speeds and loads, less downtime, lower maintenance costs, and more profitable operations,
Why Neoloy Geocells for the reinforcement of Railway Construction
The Neoloy material enables a high modulus, creep resistant and strong geocell, based on the following performance properties, which are validated by ISO and ASTM standard testing procedures:
- Elastic Stiffness (Dynamic Modulus) – maintain stiffness under dynamic loading > 500 MPa @ 60°C.
- Permanent Deformation (Creep) – elongation < 3% at the end of 75-year design life
- Cell Tensile Strength – maintain geocell geometry under load, 20-30 kN/m
Neoloy Geocells offer cost-effective ground reinforcement solution for substructure layers, embankments, turnouts and train yards, as well for earth stabilization solutions for slope protection, railway abutments and earth berms and noise barriers.
Benefits
- Trackbed stabilization – Neoloy alters physical and mechanical properties.
- Ballast life extended – by reduced lateral displacement, vertical settlement and aggregate attrition.
- Neoloy strength – high stiffness, dimensional stability and low creep under loading preserve track geometry.
- Reduce layer thickness – reduce sub-ballast layer and use locally available soils for sub-ballast.
- More effective than geogrids – does not require high grade aggregate and has 3D zone of influence.
- Easy and fast deployment – all-weather, easy and fast installation minimizes downtime.
- Improved performance – reduce vibrations, track deflection, and smooth transitions between areas of differing subgrades.
- Improved rolling stock performance – up to 40% heavier loads and 30% faster speeds over the same track.
- Operating expenses – stabilized rails reduce vibration and rolling stock wear & tear
- Sustainable – use of marginal infill preserves quarry resources, lowers hauling and pollution.
- Reduce maintenance – extend maintenance surfacing cycles.
- Cost effective installation – saves construction time, equipment and aggregate.
- Low total cost of ownership – durability extends track maintenance periods by >3x (perpetual superstructure).