Project: : Railway
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Year: 2011
Duration: 4 months
Technology: DEEP INJECTION
Repair and restoration of the railway track without stopping it
Problem
Erosion of the soil under the railway track and movement of the rails.
Solution
The water masses were successfully redirected, and the railway track was stabilized.
Problem
Erosion of soils beneath the concrete base of a railway track, resulting in rail movement.
The project in detail
Stabilisation of the soil foundation beneath an 80‑cm concrete slab; voids formed due to erosion caused by a continuous flow of drainage water.
The customer set a number of requirements, including tight time frames and ensuring continuous operation of the railway tracks.
The customer initiated a pilot project on a 30‑metre section of the railway track. The objective of the pilot project was to test the effectiveness of the patented URETEK method and materials in eliminating voids in the soils, eliminating possible instability caused by water ingress, and stabilising the railway subgrade.
The URETEK work team drilled through the concrete base of the railway track using a coordinate grid for injection and a laser monitoring system to record vertical movements. Injection was carried out directly into the railway soil foundation until the laser showed a lift of 1 mm, which indicated that the target soil compaction had been achieved. The URETEK team completed the work on the 30‑metre track section in less than 18 hours, including identifying, marking and adjusting injection points, over several approaches within two days. The pilot project demonstrated the high efficiency of Uretek for compacting the bearing soils, eliminating voids in them, and waterproofing the concrete base of the railway track.
As a result, the customer requested similar work on a section adjacent to the pilot project area, which was also suffering from erosion. During scheduled railway shutdowns in January and March 2012, it was decided to cover a total track length of approximately 100 metres.
The customer set a number of requirements, including tight time frames and ensuring continuous operation of the railway tracks.
The customer initiated a pilot project on a 30‑metre section of the railway track. The objective of the pilot project was to test the effectiveness of the patented URETEK method and materials in eliminating voids in the soils, eliminating possible instability caused by water ingress, and stabilising the railway subgrade.
The URETEK work team drilled through the concrete base of the railway track using a coordinate grid for injection and a laser monitoring system to record vertical movements. Injection was carried out directly into the railway soil foundation until the laser showed a lift of 1 mm, which indicated that the target soil compaction had been achieved. The URETEK team completed the work on the 30‑metre track section in less than 18 hours, including identifying, marking and adjusting injection points, over several approaches within two days. The pilot project demonstrated the high efficiency of Uretek for compacting the bearing soils, eliminating voids in them, and waterproofing the concrete base of the railway track.
As a result, the customer requested similar work on a section adjacent to the pilot project area, which was also suffering from erosion. During scheduled railway shutdowns in January and March 2012, it was decided to cover a total track length of approximately 100 metres.
Solution
URETEK considers this project successful, as this is the opinion of the customer himself. Both parties find the following factors positive:
- The project was carried out during a scheduled railway shutdown determined by the customer.
- The competence and speed of the URETEK team, as well as the unique properties of the material, allowed the customer to repair four times more track than originally planned for the same budget.
- Other repair work required on this section of the railway track was successfully combined with URETEK’s work, and the customer did not have to take additional operational breaks.
- Water flows were successfully redirected and the railway track was stabilised.
- The customer intends to include URETEK’s work in next year’s budget and entrust the company with stabilising even more railway tracks.
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