Ballastless Tracks

The authors are extensively involved in planning, operating and inspecting, designing and testing as well as updating specific rules as well as R&D. Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Freudenstein has been a full professor at the Chair and Institute of Road, Railway and Airfield Construction at the Technical University of Munich and director of the test institute of the same name in Pasing, Munich, since 2008. After graduating in civil engineering at TU Munich in 1995 and working at Heilit + Woerner Bau AG, Stephan Freudenstein became a research associate at TU Munich's Chair and Institute of Road, Railway and Airfield Construction in 1997. In 2002 he joined Pfleiderer Infrastrukturtechnik GmbH, now known as RAILONE GmbH, in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany. While there, he headed up the technology and development department. He was responsible for prestressed concrete sleepers and the technical side of various ballastless track projects in Germany and farther afield. The main focus of Prof. Freudenstein's research is the structural design of road and rail superstructure systems and aviation surfaces. He is a member of numerous German and European technical standard committees and committees of independent experts. Dr.-Ing. Konstantin Geisler graduated in civil engineering at TU Munich in 2010. He was awarded his doctorate by that university in 2016 and now works in academic research at TU Munich's Chair and Institute of Road, Railway and Airfield Construction. Dipl.-Ing. Tristan Mölter studied civil engineering at TU Darmstadt. Since 1999 he has been responsible for noise control, bridge equipment and provisional bridges at the technology and plant management department of Deutsche Bahn DB Netz AG in Munich. He is the chair of the structural engineering commission (FA KIB) at VDEI (association of German railway engineers) and a member of numerous German and European technical standard committees and committees of independent experts. Dipl.-Ing. Michael Mißler studied civil engineering at TU Darmstadt. As a team leader and project manager he is responsible for the ballastless track technique and track stability at the track technology management dept. of Deutsche Bahn DB Netz AG in Frankfurt on the Main, Germany. He has pushed on the development of ballastless track for Deutsche Bahn since 1999. In the context of his central technical responsibility he is a member of numerous German and European technical standard committees and committees of independent experts. Dipl.-Ing. Christian Stolz studied civil engineering at Cologne's University of Applied Sciences. Since 2010 he has been responsible for ballastless track engineering in the track technology management department of Deutsche Bahn DB Netz AG in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. He is a member of numerous German and European technical standard committees, e.g. DIN Standards Committee Railway NA 087-00-01 AA "Infrastructure", DIN subcommittee "Ballastless track" and CEN TC 256/SC 1/WG 46 "Ballastless Track".

• Editorial IXAbout the authors XI1 Introduction and state of the art 11.1 Introductory words and definition 11.2 Comparison between ballasted track and ballastless track 11.3 Basic ballastless track types in Germany – the state of the art 31.3.1 Developments in Germany 41.3.2 Sleeper framework on continuously reinforced slab 51.3.3 Continuously reinforced slab with discrete rail seats 71.3.4 Precast concrete slabs 71.3.5 Special systems for tunnels and bridges 91.3.6 Further developments 91.3.7 Conclusion 111.4 Ballastless track systems and developments in othercountries (examples) 11References 152 Design 172.1 Basic principles 172.1.1 Regulations 172.1.2 Basic loading assumptions 182.2 Material parameters – assumptions 192.2.1 Subsoil 192.2.2 Unbound base layer 202.2.3 Base layer with hydraulic binder 212.2.4 Slab 232.3 Calculations 242.3.1 General 242.3.2 Calculating the individual rail seat loads 242.3.3 Calculating bending stresses in a system with continuously supported track panel 282.3.4 System with individual rail seats 282.3.5 Example calculation 322.4 Further considerations 352.4.1 Intermediate layers 352.4.2 Temperature effects 352.4.3 Finite element method (FEM) 36References 373 Developing a ballastless track 393.1 General 393.2 Laboratory tests 403.2.1 Rail fastening test 403.2.2 Testing elastic components 413.2.3 Tests on tension clamps 423.3 Lateral forces analysis 42References 434 Ballastless track on bridges 454.1 Introduction and history 454.1.1 Requirements for ballastless track on bridges 454.1.2 System-finding 454.1.2.1 Geometric restraints 474.1.2.2 Acoustics 484.1.2.3 Design 484.1.3 System trials and implications for later installation 494.1.4 Measurements during system trials 504.1.4.1 Braking tests 504.1.4.2 Acoustic properties after installing a resilient mat 504.1.4.3 Deflection of the slab 514.1.4.4 Summary of system trials 514.1.5 Regulations and planning guidance for laying ballastless track on bridges 514.1.6 The Cologne–Rhine/Main and Nuremberg–Ingolstadt lines 514.1.7 VDE 8 – new forms of bridge construction 524.2 Systems for ballastless track on bridges 534.2.1 The principle behind non-ballasted ballastless track on long bridges 534.2.2 Ballastless track components on long bridges 544.2.2.1 Rail seats 544.2.2.2 Slab 564.2.2.3 Cam plate 564.2.2.4 Separating layer 574.2.2.5 Protective concrete 584.2.3 Ballastless track on short bridges 584.2.4 Ballastless track on long bridges 594.2.5 The bridge areas of ballastless tracks 614.2.6 End anchorage 624.3 The challenging transition zone 624.3.1 General 624.3.2 The upper and lower system levels 624.3.3 Interaction of superstructure and bridge 634.3.4 General actions and deformations at bridge ends 644.3.5 Summary of actions 664.3.6 Supplementary provisions for ballastless track on bridges and analysis 664.3.7 Measures for complying with limit values 684.3.8 Summary, consequences and outlook 69References 705 Selected topics 735.1 Additional maintenance requirements to be considered in the design 735.2 Switches in slab track in the Deutsche Bahn network 735.3 Slab track maintenance 765.4 Inspections 765.4.1 General 765.4.2 Cracking and open joints 775.4.3 Anchors for fixing sleepers 785.4.4 Loosening of sleepers 785.4.5 Additional inspections 795.5 Slab track repairs 795.5.1 Real examples of repairs 795.5.2 Renewing rail supports 795.5.3 Repairing anchor bolts 805.5.4 Dealing with settlement 805.5.5 Defective sound absorption elements 805.6 Drainage 815.6.1 General 815.6.2 Draining surface water 815.6.3 Central drainage 815.6.4 Strip between tracks 815.6.5 Cover to sides of slab track 825.7 Transitions 825.7.1 General 825.7.2 Transitions in substructure and permanent way 825.7.3 Welding and insulated rail joints 835.7.4 Transitions between bridges/tunnels and earthworks 835.7.5 Transitions between slab and ballasted track 835.7.6 Transitions between different types of slab track 845.8 Accessibility for road vehicles 845.8.1 General 845.8.2 Designing for road vehicles 845.8.3 Designing for road vehicle loads 855.9 Sound absorption elements 865.9.1 General 865.9.2 Construction and acoustic requirements 865.9.3 Special requirements for materials and construction 86References 87Index 89