Non-­‐Ballasted  Trackforms  

Slab  Track  designs,  Installa9on  

Considera9ons,  advantages  and  
disadvantages  
 
John  Porrill  
Head  of  New  Product  
Development  
Pandrol  Track  Systems  
•  Graduated  as  an  Aeronau9cal  engineer  working  with  BAe  systems  based  
in  Filton,  Bristol.    
•  Transferred    to  bio-­‐medical  engineering  responsible  for  the  first  modular  
carbon  fibre  limb  system  for  the  general  publicincluding  the  design  of  a  
fibre  glass  foot  blade  that  mimics  the  human  walking  gait  –  The  ‘every  
person’  version  of  the  Oscar  Pestorious  type  high  performance  blade  we  
are  now  so  familiar  with,  but  30  years  earlier.  
•  Joined  Pandrol  in  1991,  becoming  project  manager  for  the  new  Pandrol  
Fastclip  system  overseeing  the  design  team  and  overseas  installa9on.    
•  Co-­‐Designer  of  the    systems  such  as  Vanguard,  SFC,  Fastclip  FE,  and  
heavily  involved  with  the  installa9on  of  Pandrol  fastenings  across  a  wide  
sec9on  of  the  non-­‐ballasted  track  systems  used  worldwide.  
•  Experience  of  high  speed  slab  in  Korea,  France  and  China.  Metro  and  Light  
Rail  installa9ons  in  Turkey,  Spain,  UK  and  the  US.  and  bespoke  slab  
installa9ons  for  the  UK  electrifica9on  programme  in  tunnels.    
•  Currently  an  expert  member  of  the  European  standards  group  CEN  WG46    
for  non-­‐ballasted  track.  
 Non-­‐Ballasted  Track  Systems  

•  Why  use  Non-­‐Ballasted  Track  Forms?  

•  Cost  
•  Construc9on  method  
•  System  Selec9on  
•  Installa9on  Considera9ons  
Non-ballasted trackform advantages (i)

•  Maintenance
Reduced maintenance – important for limited
access sites.
No settlement within track structure
Reduced long term cost
Easier to clean
•  Potential to reduce track mass
Reduced size and cost of structures
Bridges and viaducts
•  Potential to reduce track depth
Reduced tunnel size
Allow extra clearance in existing tunnels
Reduced excavation cost
Non-ballasted trackform advantages (ii)

•  Potential for increased track cant

Tighter curves possible
Benefits restricted alignments
Reduced land use
•  Potential for improved ground-vibration control
Potential for improved track geometry
Vibration reducing track forms
•  Potential for better non-railway vehicle access
Emergency vehicle access
 Non-ballasted trackforms - cost

‘ … the high investment costs, which are about three times

that of conventional track ….. ’

‘… the installation of slab track is reported to

cost about 20% more than ballasted track …’

Cost of non-ballasted track is often cited as

being two to three times that of ballasted
track.
 Relative cost of non-ballasted trackforms
500%
Resilient baseplates
on resilient slab
400%

300%

Resilient baseplates
200% on rigid slab

100%

0%
 Installation Method

•  Bottom Up Construction
§  Incremental adjustment under the
rail to achieve alignment and level
•  Top Down Construction.
§  Using the rail as the datum.
Connecting the fastening and slab
system to it.
Slab track construction methods

±1 mm

±10 mm
Slab track construction methods
‘Bottom up’ construction
Slab track construction methods
‘Top down’ construction
Top down track construction methods (i)
Top down track construction methods (i)
Top down track construction methods (i)
Top down track construction methods (i)
Photos  of  TKO  
Top down track construction methods (ii)
Top down track construction methods (ii)
Top down track construction methods (ii)
Top down track construction methods (iii)
Top down track construction methods (iii)
Top down track construction methods (iii)
Top down track construction methods (iii)
 Non-­‐Ballasted  Track  Systems  
•  Pre-­‐Cast  Systems  
–  Max  Boegl  
–  JIS   5m  Pre-­‐Cast  Panels  
–  PORR  
•  Wet  Pour  Systems  
–  Rheda  2000  
–  L.V.T  
–  Sateba   Pre-­‐Cast  Elements  
–  Trenosa   cast  into  Concrete  
–  Generics*  
•  Others  
–  Appitrack  
–  Asphalt  
–  QTrack  
 
 Pre-­‐Cast  Systems  
•  Max  Boegl  
 Pre-­‐Cast  Systems  
•  JIS  –  (Japanese  Interna9onal  Standard)  
 Pre-­‐Cast  Systems  
•  PORR  -­‐  Austria  
 Pre-­‐Cast  Systems  
•  Trenosa  -­‐  Spain  
 Wet  Pour  Systems  
•  Rheda  2000  -­‐  Germany  
 Wet  Pour  Systems  
•  L.V.T  -­‐  Switzerland  
 Wet  Pour  Systems  
•  Trenosa  -­‐  Spain  
 Others  
•  Appitrack  -­‐  France  
 Others  
•  Q  Track  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  5m  Panel  Systems  -­‐    Logis9cs/Handling  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  Max  Boegl  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  Installa9on  Jigs  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  JIS  -­‐  Japan  
Japan JIS – base slab construction

University of Illinois presentation: April

2010
 
Japan – base slab

University of Illinois presentation: April

2010
 
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010
Japan – top slab – typically on ‘CA mortar’
 
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010
Japan – top slab – with weight reduction
 
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010 China
 
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010 China
 
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  PORR  -­‐  Austria  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  PORR  -­‐  Austria  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  Wet  Pour  Systems  -­‐    Logis9cs/Handling  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  Rheda  2000  
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010
 
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010
 
University of Illinois presentation: April
2010
 
 Korea

University of Illinois presentation: April

2010
 
China University of Illinois presentation: April
2010
 
China

University of Illinois presentation: April

2010
 
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  L.V.T.  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  L.V.T.  Block  alignment  
 Installa9on  Considera9ons  
•  L.V.T.  Block  alignment  
 Summary  
•  Benefits  
•  Maintenance
•  Potential to reduce track mass
•  Potential to reduce track depth
•  Potential for increased track cant
•  Potential for improved ground-vibration control
•  Potential for better non-railway vehicle access
•  Costs  
•  Life  Cycle  Cost  considera9ons  
•  Applica9on  
•  Traffic  Type,  Track  Speed,  Track  Geometry,  Construc9on  method  etc.  
•  System  Selec9on  
•  Pre-­‐Cast  
•  Wet  Pour  
•  Other  
 
  Non-­‐Ballasted  Trackforms  

Slab  Track  designs,  Installa9on  

Considera9ons,  advantages  and  
disadvantages  
 

Thank  You  For  Your  

Aien9on