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Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716

XXIV R-S-P seminar, Theoretical Foundation of Civil Engineering (24RSP) (TFoCE 2015)

Evaluation of track design and track geometry of the track with

unconventional structure of railway superstructure
Janka Šestákováa, Martin Mečárb*
a
Department of Railway Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, SK–010 26 Žilina, Slovak Republic
b
Department of Railway Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, SK–010 26 Žilina, Slovak Republic

Abstract

Department of Railway Engineering realizes monitoring of the experimental section with various constructions of the railway
superstructure; experimental section consist of the standard structure of railway superstructure on earthworks and in the concrete
channel and slab track structure in tunnel, on bridges and on earthworks. Diagnostics is comprehensively focused on the quality
of effective position of the track, structural and geometric structure of the track and on the quality of the elements of the
superstructure. Relevant design and geometrical parameters of the track are the track alignment, track top, gauge, superelevation
and twist. The paper presents the results of diagnostics and graphical overview of the development of quality parameters.
© 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
© 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of the XXIV R-S-P seminar, Theoretical Foundation of Civil
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Engineering
Peer-review under(24RSP)
responsibility of organizing committee of the XXIV R-S-P seminar, Theoretical Foundation of Civil Engineering (24RSP)

Keywords: Railway; Slab Track; Track Geometry; Quality.

1. Introduction

Railway track quality with increasing time of operation deteriorates. Operational (traffic, repair and maintenance
works, etc.) and climate load impacts are reflected by permanent changes in geometric parameters and material
characteristics of construction and its elements. These changes may significantly affect safety and flow of traffic. It
is necessary to identify the source and progress of changes to optimize minimization and removing these changes in
process of repair and maintenance works.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +421-41-513 58 07; fax: +421-41-513 55 10.

E-mail address: janka.sestakova@fstav.uniza.sk

1877-7058 © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of the XXIV R-S-P seminar, Theoretical Foundation of Civil Engineering (24RSP)
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.07.136
710 Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716

2. Experimental sections

Track section with unconventional construction of railway superstructure called slab track (ST), was put in
operation in July 2012 (track No. 2) and in October 2012 (Track No. 1). Track section is part of double-track
modernized railway track Nove Mesto nad Vahom – Puchov and is situated in the tunnel Turecky vrch and around
its portals. Railway superstructure of experimental sections is built as standard structure with ballast bed,
construction with improved ballast placed in concrete trough (transition sector) and slab track construction RHEDA
2000© (in the tunnel, on the bridges and on the earthworks). Designed track speed is 160 km/h (velocity zone RP4),
gauge is 1 435 mm [1].
Monitoring of experimental section is focused on quality of railway track in transition sections between standard
structure of railway superstructure with ballast bed and slab track construction and is carried out as:
x monitoring of track alignment design and track geometry: comprehensive diagnostics (continuous method);
measuring trolley KRABTM – Light recording alignment of rail string SP, SL (mm), gauge tolerances RK (mm),
change of gauge ZR (mm/m), rail top level of rail string VP, VL (mm), superelevation PK (mm), quasi-twist on
a short base ZK (mm/m),
x supervisory monitoring of track alignment design: a partial diagnostics of track alignment design and track
geometry realized by gauge-checker focused on gauge tolerances (RK) and superelevation (PK),
x monitoring of effective position of the track related to track geometry marks [2].
There are presented outputs of comprehensive diagnostics carried out by continuous method in the paper. The
diagnostics is realized and assessed according to [3] and [4] for railway tracks of track speed between 120 km/h and
160 km/h (including), i. e. for velocity zone RP4. Limit values of standard tolerances in tables 1 and 2 specifies [3].
Experimental sections are located in tracks No. 1 and No. 2 near south portal of tunnel Turecky vrch (sections 1.1
and 2.1), each of length 175 m (km 102.360 000 – km 102.535 000) in tracks No. 1 and No. 2 near north portal of
tunnel Turecky vrch (sections 2.1 and 2.2), each of length 640 m, (km 104.200 000 – km 104.840 000) [5, 6].

3. Realized measurements

Comprehensive diagnostics of track alignment design and track geometry on experimental sections 1.1 and 1.2
has been carried out: 3.10.2012 – measurement before putting sections into operation (MSO), 9.4.2013 – the first
operational measurement (PO1), 8.10.2013 – the second operational measurement (PO2), 27.5.2014 – the third
operational measurement (PO3), 29.10.2014 – the fourth operational measurement (PO4) and 17.4.2015 – the fifth
operational measurement (PO5) and on experimental sections 2.1 and 2.2 10.7.2012 (MSO), 22.4.2013 (PO1),
22.10.2013 (PO2), 28.5.2014 (PO3), 29.10.2014 (PO4) and 25.3.2015 (PO5).
Measured tolerances of superelevation (PK) compared to designed values and tolerances of gauge (RK) compared
to standard nominal value 1435 mm are shown on fig. 1 to fig. 8. Values were recorded by carried out by
continuously measuring trolley KRABTM–Light and involves quasi-static and dynamic factors of each
parameter. These parameters were chosen as the most suitable for the presentation of the progress of quality of
railway track measured by continuous method. Assessment of measurements, which includes above parameters and
assessment of all parameters according to part 2 is completely presented by L. Ižvolt and M. Šmalo in the paper
Assessment of the Track Geometry Quality from the Aspect of Safe and Reliable Operation of the Railway Track.
Comprehensive assessment includes also assessment of alignment of rail string (SP, SL) and rail top level of rail
string (VP, VL) of experimental sections, change of gauge (ZR) and quasi-twist on a short base (ZK). Assessment is
focused on local errors evaluation and evaluation of each experimental section.
Maximal and minimal values of tolerances of superelevation (PK) and gauge (RK) of each measurement carried
out by comprehensive diagnostics relating to tolerances (maximal input tolerances – MSO, operational and maximal
operational tolerances – PO1 to PO5) are in tables 1 and 2 briefly shown.
Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716 711

Fig. 1. Tolerances of Superelevation – Track No. 1, Section No. 1.

Fig. 2. Tolerances of Gauge – Track No. 1, Section No. 1.

712 Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716

Fig. 3. Tolerances of Superelevation – Track No. 1, Section No. 2.

Fig. 4. Tolerances of Gauge – Track No. 1, Section No. 2.

Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716 713

Fig. 5. Tolerances of Superelevation – Track No. 2, Section No. 1.

Fig. 6. Tolerances of Gauge – Track No. 2, Section No. 1.

714 Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716

Fig. 7. Tolerances of Superelevation – Track No. 2, Section No. 2.

Fig. 8. Tolerances of Gauge – Track No. 2, Section No. 2.

 Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716 715

Table 1. Summary of Limit Deviations of Superelevation (6 Measurement Cycles).

Operational

operational
tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances
Track.Section

measured

measured

measured

measured

measured

measured
Maximal

Maximal
MSO
input

PO1

PO2

PO3

PO4

PO5
(mm)
min -3 -1.18 -6 -8 -3.42 -3.21 -3.18 -2.30 -2.82
1.1
max 3 2.24 6 8 0.54 1.94 0.91 3.52 1.03
min -3 -2.36 -6 -8 -2.42 -1.64 -5.59 -1.53 -1.83
1.2
max 3 2.85 6 8 1.91 2.83 1.16 3.72 3.27
min -3 -1.61 -6 -8 -3.02 -2.68 -2.75 -2.47 -2.93
2.1
max 3 0.59 6 8 1.76 0.84 0.45 2.75 1.86
min -3 -4.00 -6 -8 -3.43 -3.27 -3.12 -2.79 -2.97
2.2
max 3 2.77 6 8 1.44 2.53 2.71 3.19 2.06

Table 2. . Summary of Limit Deviations of Gauge (6 Measurement Cycles).

Operational

operational
tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances

tolerances
Track.Section

measured

measured

measured

measured

measured

measured
Maximal

Maximal
MSO
input

PO1

PO2

PO3

PO4

PO5
(mm)
min -2 0.11 -3 -5 0.05 -0.36 -0.32 0.10 -0.20
1.1
max 2 2.76 5 10 2.98 2.87 2.88 3.04 2.99
min -2 -1.31 -3 -5 -1.23 -1.40 -1.41 -1.29 -1.38
1.2
max 2 2.11 5 10 2.23 2.17 2.12 2.23 2.15
min -2 -0.03 -3 -5 0.36 0.24 -0.04 0.33 0.02
2.1
max 2 3.30 5 10 3.32 3.08 2.91 3.20 3.01
min -2 -2.01 -3 -5 -1.36 -1.43 -1.62 -1.38 -1.34
2.2
max 2 3.32 5 10 3.36 3.15 2.89 3.08 3.12

4. Conclusions

From the presented outputs of a comprehensive diagnostics of track alignment design and track geometry of the
track it is clear that geometric parameters superelevation (PK) and gauge (RK) after putting track into operation
complied with the prescribed tolerances. Measurement before putting sections into operation shows errors of PK and
also RK parameters, but these errors were repaired before starting operation. Significantly different from the trend of
results is the third operational measurement PO3 – parameter PK in track No. 1 and section No. 2. At the time of
measurement were rail heads in the section very dirty and this fact affected results obtained from the measuring
trolley. Therefore, measurement results PO3 of parameter PK in this section will not be classified to the summary
assessment.

Acknowledgements

There are partial results of the grant VEGA 1/0597/14 „Analysis of methods used to measure the unconventional
railway track construction from the point of view of accuracy and reliability" in the paper.
716 Janka Šestáková and Martin Mečár / Procedia Engineering 111 (2015) 709 – 716

References

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