Railway tracks

• 9.1.

  Introduction

• 9.2.

  Track components and substructure

• 9.3.

  Functions of geosynthetics

• 9.4.

  Properties of geosynthetics

• 9.5.

  Design procedure

• 9.6.

  Installation of geosynthetics

• 9.7.

  Case histories in railway track stabilisation

• 9.8.

  Geosynthetic drains for track drainage applications

• 9.9.

  Summary of main points

• 9.10.

  Some common questions and their answers

• References

Many factors influence the safe and efficient operation of railway tracks throughout the world. The most important tasks for railway track engineers are the design, installation and maintenance of a highly stable track network that will reliably carry goods and passengers with safety and high speed. The use of geosynthetics in construction has improved the functions of railway tracks. This chapter introduces the components of conventional track structures and their functions, and describes the properties, design and installation of geosynthetics for the stabilisation and drainage of railway tracks, along with some case histories.