Track ballast is the material which forms the trackbed upon which railroad ties (UK: sleepers) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. [ 1 ] It is used to bear the compression load of the railroad ties, rails, and rolling stock ; to facilitate drainage ; and keep down vegetation that can compromise the integrity of the ...

Jun 20, 2024 · Ballast is a vital component of railway infrastructure, playing several key roles that ensure trains' safe and efficient operation. Primarily composed of crushed stone, gravel, or similar materials, ballast is laid beneath and around railway tracks.

Feb 19, 2024 · Ballastless or slab railway tracks are a modern type of track construction where the rails are directly mounted onto a solid concrete slab or solid concrete modules without using traditional ballast. Rarely, slab tracks can also use asphalt surfaces instead of concrete surfaces.

Feb 7, 2017 · A comprehensive comparison between ballasted track and non-ballasted track. Differences are based on cost, maintenance, service life and application, etc.

... rail bridges can contain either the ballasted track or the non-ballasted tracks. Figure 6 shows the schematics of a conventional ballasted track and three typical non-ballasted tracks built...

Dec 9, 2015 · Providing a means of improving track stability and ballast life should be one of the key targets for HS2, if ballasted track is used. One of the project’s aims is for a low maintenance railway, which is essential to deliver the desired 18 trains …

Mar 16, 2011 · It presents revised ballast gradations for modern high-speed trains capturing particle breakage and describes the use of geosynthetics in track design. It also provides insight into track...

Jan 15, 2021 · Two-dimensional finite element analysis is employed to examine the effectiveness of using geogrids, geocells, and recycled concrete aggregates in the ballasted railway tracks. The efficacy is evaluated in terms of the track settlement.

May 16, 2023 · Ballasted tracks exhibits higher train-induced differential settlement compared to slab. At higher train speeds, slab track shows enhanced performance. Concrete slab railway tracks typically have higher initial capital costs yet lower operational costs in comparison to ballasted tracks.

Ballasted track is a granular layer which obey a certain particle size distribution. You might find these chapters and articles relevant to this topic. Ballasted tracks on bridges are currently a common rule, even if codes and standards have specific exceptions.