| Long-term Stabilization of Track at High Impact Transition Zones |
Soft soils under track can lead to increased long-term maintenance requirements and costs—and high impact areas subjected to heavy tonnage stresses such as bridge approaches and crossing diamonds are especially problematic. Conventional stabilization methods (i.e. geogrids, HMA) have traditionally been less than effective in these areas at reducing maintenance long-term. The GEOWEB® soil stabilization system has been helping railroads combat these problems economically for over 30 years creating a more durable subgrade that increases railway life by preventing long term settlement and consolidation.
The GEOWEB® system’s deep 3D soil confinement technology creates a high-stiffness foundation under track and offers these benefits:
- Reduces Subballast up to 50%. Confines aggregate, creating a stiffened slab that reduces vertical stresses and allows a significant reduction in the subballast layer.
- Fast, Economical Installation Limits Downtime. Installs 2-3X faster than Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), without special equipment, and at up to half the cost.
Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) Bridge Approach Project
A prime example of the GEOWEB System’s ability to solve track challenges is a bridge approach project with FEC. A portion of FEC’s track had been a high maintenance area for many years due to high impact loads from rail cars transitioning off of a concrete bridge abutment onto ballasted concrete ties placed over soft subgrade with a history of pumping. A solution was required to eliminate the maintenance area due to pumping of the soft subgrade. The GEOWEB system offered that solution at half the cost—and a third of the time compared to HMA.
PERFORMANCE: “The area with the GEOWEB system has been subjected to 25 MGT this year with no deflection. The other end of the bridge without the GEOWEB system has settled over 2 inches and has been resurfaced twice.” – Charles Stone, Asst. Chief Engineer Design and Construction, FEC
INSTALLATION: “For this particular location, we completed the sub base preparation and installation of the GEOWEB material in approximately three hours. If hot mix asphalt had been used for the sub base, in proper lifts and thicknesses, it would have been an all-day process and at least twice as expensive.” – Houston Spears, PE, Project Manager, Gonzales & Sons Eqpt.
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