RailJET®: Soft Subgrade and Embankment Stabilization, Introduction of New Hi-Rail Technology for Subgrade Maintenance
(Room 103 A)
24 Sep 19
11:00 AM
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11:30 AM
Tracks:
AREMA Technical Sessions By Date- Maintenance-of-Way, AREMA Technical Sessions By Functional Group- Maintenance-of-Way, Technical Sessions By Day- Tuesday
The RailJET® is a hi-rail subgrade stabilization system that incorporates installing soil cement rigid jet grouted columns below the track structure. These columns transfer a train’s loads deeper into the subgrade strata to more stable bearing material. The application and design for these columns improve a suite of problems experienced by railroads along their track structure such as subgrade settlement, embankment instability, lateral spreading, bearing capacity failures, and saturated fouled ballast pockets. The system works on existing track under defined work windows without lasting outages or removing track structure. The RailJET® system is fully self-contained and operates under its own power without need for a flat car or railroad provided equipment. The system can access the track from any 50-foot wide roadway or temporary crossing. No material is wasted during column installation because grout mixtures are combined at the point of injection and continuously mixed as work progresses. RailJET® columns can be modeled using existing geotechnical software and methods such as consolidation settlement, limit equilibrium slope stability, and deformation based finite difference analyses. These models allow us to estimate improvements in factor of safety and expected settlement reduction after a track structure treatment with the RailJET® system. This paper will present example analyses of subgrade and embankment stability improvements after RailJET® columns are installed. Seven RailJET® projects for five different Class 1 railroads have been completed to date. This section will discuss working with the RailJET® system including, accessibility, railroad support requirements, production, performance, logistical advantages, and improvements going forward. *Missed this Session or want to view it again? Stop by the VirtualAREMA kiosk located in the Registration area to purchase this product today!