Ebook: Ballast Railroad Design: Smart-Uow Approach

The railway track network plays an essential role in the transportation infrastructure worldwide. A ballasted railroad is commonly used for several reasons, including economic, rapid drainage and ease of maintenance. Given the increasing demand for trains to carry heavier loads, current Australian ballasted rail networks require a significant amount of upgrading. Railroad ballast is an unbounded granular material that displaces laterally when subjected to repeated train loading. During track operations, ballast deteriorates due to progressive breakage and the infiltration of fine particles or mud-pumping from the underneath layers (e.g., capping, subgrade), which decreases the shear strength, impedes track drainage and increases the deformation of ballasted tracks. This leads to excessive track settlements and instability, and increased maintenance costs.

This book presents a comprehensive procedure of ballasted track design based on a rational approach that combines extensive laboratory testing, mathematical and computational modelling and field measurements carried out over the past two decades. The Ballast Railroad Design: SMART-UOW Approach can be regarded as a useful guide to assist the practitioner. This book can also be used as a useful resource by both postgraduate students and as a teaching tool by academics in track design and maintenance.