Rejuvenating NZs Rail Bridge Assets
Since 2004 KiwiRail has significantly increased the rate of bridge renewals and refurbishments throughout the New Zealand rail network. This has primarily been driven by an aging asset and that […]
STRUCTURAL MONITORING: PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES, ACTIONABLE OUTCOMES AND VALUE FOR MONEY
This paper takes a practical lens to a highly advanced field which uses technology to monitor structures and other physical assets. The purpose of this work is to help inform […]
SEPARATING TRAINS FROM TRAMS – DESIGN AND ENGINEERING CHALLENGES ON THE GLEN HUNTLY LEVEL CROSSING REMOVAL PROJECT
The Glen Huntly Level Crossing Removal project, delivered as part of the Victorian Governments’ ongoing Level Crossing Removal Programme presented a number of unique technical and transport challenges the required […]
RAIL STRUCTURE INTERACTION – SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE AUSTRALIAN BRIDGE DESIGN STANDARD AS 5100:2017
For structural engineers to deliver efficient and robust design solutions, it is essential to understand the performance of each structure for its intended use and for the design life of […]
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRACK AND TUNNEL CENTRELINES
This paper presents an approach to determining the optimal positioning of the rail track alignment within a tunnel for an underground rail transit system. One of the main challenges with […]
MIND THE GAP: TACKLING PLATFORM GAP CHALLENGES IN EXISTING RAILWAY STATIONS FOR IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY
The requirements of stepping gap in railway stations are defined in Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) and traced into different Rail Transport Operator (RTO) standards and specification. It […]
FROM GOOD TO GREAT – RECONFIGURING AUCKLAND’S BRITOMART STATION TO ACCOMMODATE THE CITY RAIL LINK
After Auckland’s Britomart Station opened in 2003, it contributed to a dramatic growth in rail patronage – from 2.5 million journeys in 2003 to 5 million in 2006. Within ten […]
INLAND RAIL – DETERMINING THE RIGHT CULVERT SOLUTION
In order to successfully deliver a project of the magnitude of Inland Rail, unique challenges such as the vast project area and significant material quantities which will challenge the capacity […]
INCREASING AXLE LOADS ON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
It is anticipated that the global rail freight demand is likely to grow by more than 2% every year for the next 30 years, necessitating the need for increasing the […]
EVALUATION OF THE STRESS LEVELS IN PLASTIC COMPOSITE SLEEPERS
The interest in using plastic and composite sleepers has increased recently in Australia primarily due to their credentials in environmental sustainability, especially the potential to use large volumes of recycled […]
FLOOD MONITORING AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Flood monitoring and rainfall recording is a common feature of design, construction and operation of linear infrastructure projects such as railways. The main purpose of flood monitoring is twofold: (1) […]
DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF PORR PRECAST CONCRETE TRACK PANELS FOR MELBOURNE’S METRO TUNNEL PROJECT
This Paper describes the investigation of options, selection and design of the slab track system to suit Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project (MMTP) track alignment constraints whilst addressing the significant ground […]
AUTOMATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN LEVEL CROSSING ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Railway level crossings represent a significant risk because they are where road and rail users converge. Due to the unique risks posed by railway level crossings, accidents at these locations […]
USE OF DYNAMIC SIMULATIONS TO ADDRESS GAPS IN CURRENT APPROACH TO MITIGATE GEOMETRY BASED RISK
Deviation of track geometry from its design state can have significant effects on not only the deterioration of the track structure but also the derailment risk of rollingstock. To ensure […]
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF MECHANICALLY STABILISED CAPPING/STRUCTURAL FILL LAYERS UNDER CYCLIC LOADING
The use of Geosynthetic material for ground improvement techniques has become a common and economical solution in civil engineering applications. Scarcity of the good quality capping/structural fill have resulted in […]
TRACK SUPPORT FLOATING SOIL BEAM ON HELICAL PILES – CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY BALA SUBDIVISION
Canadian National Railway (CN) completed a 2nd track construction over deep muskeg along an existing mainline on the Bala Subdivision between Mile 29.2 and 29.5 in 2017. The site contains […]
DESIGN OF RAIL FORMATION AND SUBGRADE – MATCHING TESTING TO DESIGN PARAMETERS
Field assessment methods such as the use of Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) for compliance testing of earthworks and pavement construction have developed significantly over the last 15-20 years. Adopting such […]
UNDERGROUND STATION DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – A CASE STUDY – CROSS RIVER RAIL
The successful design of underground stations is fundamental to achieving project outcomes for rail projects and meeting the business case objectives. This paper considers Brisbane’s Cross River Rail (CRR) as […]
RAIL STRUCTURE INTERACTION – AN ESSENTIAL METHODOLOGY FOR IMPROVING BRIDGE SAFETY AND PASSENGER COMFORT
Rail-Structure Interaction (RSI) has gained attention within the rail industry due to some significant failures and poor service performance of structures around the world. In short, RSI arises due to […]
KIWIRAIL LONG-TERM RAIL BRIDGE RENEWAL MANAGEMENT THROUGH A STRUCTURES HEALTH PRIORITISATION PROCESS
KiwiRail manages a wide range of rail assets, including approximately 1700 bridges and major culverts within resource and investment constraints. With an existing asset base that is aging there is […]
THE PLANNING CHALLENGES OF DEVELOPING URBAN INTERMODALS: The case of Moorebank in South West Sydney
Projections indicate significant future growth in containerised freight coming into, and moving throughout Australia. To address this there is a clear economic and environmental case for a mode shift for […]
EPPING TO THORNLEIGH THIRD TRACK (ETTT) PROJECT – M2 BRIDGE ALTERNATIVE DESIGN, SYDNEY
The existing rail lines cross the M2 Motorway (via an under-bridge) and Devlin’s creek (via an old masonry arch culvert). The existing rail lines at this location sit on a […]
THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXCESS SUPERELEVATION ON CURVES – SETTING CURVE GEOMETRY TO SUIT ACTUAL TRAFFIC REQUIREMENTS
An optimised wheel/rail interaction is a function of many attributes. Ultimately it is control of these attributes that controls the wheel/rail interface forces and allows for optimal life of components, […]
IMPROVED BEHAVIOUR OF RAILWAY TRACK SUBSTRUCTURE USING 2D (PLANAR) AND 3D (CELLULAR) GEO-INCLUSIONS
A sustainable growth of ballasted railway is crucial in Australia in view of growing demands of an increasing costal population and highly congested roads and highways. In spite of recent […]
Competition for space in congested city streetscapes drives development of innovative track structure solutions
The track structure designs for light rail systems in Australia vary considerably. The lack of a standardised design methodology has resulted in a variety of design approaches being adopted in […]
Strengthening and refurbishment of the Makatote viaduct, New Zealand
Makatote Viaduct, the third tallest railway viaduct in New Zealand, is over one hundred years old. Concerns over the deteriorating paint system, on-going corrosion of the steel work, and increasing […]
Conversion of a ballasted deck bridge to a ballast-less deck in 94 hours
The Cooling Channel Bridge located in Gladstone Queensland is one of the most critical bridges in Aurizon’s Central Queensland Coal Network (CQCN) as it carries all of the coal trains […]
Track Deck Interaction on Long Deck Bridges
The interaction between the track and the deck on long deck bridges with ballasted track and continuously welded rail can generate excessive forces in the rail that may affect the […]
The Development of a Geocomposite to prevent mud pumping
In 2010 GEOfabrics launched a new anti pumping geocomposite in the UK, which could be placed directly on the sub-grade or on a failed sub-ballast and prevent the development of […]
Seaford Rail Extension – Expanding the Rail Network Through Innovation
The Seaford Rail Extension is a fundamental component of the South Australian Government’s 10-year plan to revitalise Adelaide’s passenger transport system. The project, funded by the Australian Government under its […]
Managing the Australian Defined Interstate Rail Network Wayside Conditions
The trend in the Australian Rail industry is towards a condition based maintenance regime and the continuing introduction of condition monitoring wayside instruments requires a system to support the increased […]
Facility Planning and Layout Design of a Railway Station
The focus of this paper is on facilities planning and layout design of a railway station based on pedestrian movement and volume. It is important to ensure efficient passenger flow […]
Cox’s Creek Bridge Restoration – Following Derailment at Boggabri NSW in December 2012
This paper details the successful restoration of the Cox’s Creek Bridge following a major derailment in December 2012. The paper looks at the close working relationships and integration of teams […]
All Steel Ballasted Bridge Spans for New Zealand
This paper outlines the main design features of four all steel ballasted through plate girder (BTPG) railway bridges constructed in New Zealand during 2012. These design features were adopted from […]
Advantages of Biaxial Welded Geogrids in Railway Rehabilitation and Upgrade
Improvement of the subgrade is often necessary during rehabilitation and upgrade of railway lines. In many cases, the required bearing capacity of the subgrade cannot be assured economically or achieved […]
A Comparative Analysis of the Conservative Bridge Transition Design Approaches
Differential settlement at the bridge approach between the deck and rail track on ground is often considered as a source of challenging technical and economical problem. This caused by the […]
PLANNING BALLAST CLEANING USING BALLAST FOULING LEVELS DETERMINED WITH GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR
To maintain adequate track top and line, ballast needs to perform all required functions, including spreading loads from rail traffic to the formation and providing drainage. If ballast voids become […]
TOTAL ROUTE EVALUATION
This paper proposes a new methodology which applies innovative processing techniques of ground radar and track quality data to predict the future performance and residual life of a trackbed. Routinely […]
Wodonga Rail Bypass – An International First in Bridge Foundations
Road and rail bridges are critical elements of our transport infrastructure. Often the foundations of bridges represent the major program and cost risks for the Contractor. In Victoria, Australia, an […]
TRANSITIONING TO A RELIABLE, HIGH CAPACITY RAILWAY – IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT TRACK AND TUNNELS
The three major commuter rail networks on Australia’s east coast are each forecast to experience high growth in passenger demand over the next 10-20 years. Forecasts have suggested that peak […]
STATE-OF-THE-ART DESIGN ASPECTS OF BALLASTED RAIL TRACKS INCORPORATING PARTICLE BREAKDOWN, FOULING AND THE BENIFITS OF GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCMENT
Railways are expected to be the main mode of future transport in Australia, and its large network should provide the essential needs for the quick and safe mobility of both […]
Rail Corridor Mine Remediation – From Investigation To Verification
The Goodna Colliery is one of Queensland’s oldest underground coal mining operations and was operated from the mid 1860’s through to the 1920’s. An open cut mine was also in […]
Optimising the Design of Formation for Mineral Railways in Queensland
Australia’s coal railways on the East Coast are subject to floods, extreme weather, and poor foundation conditions. Engineering techniques have been applied that combine the lessons of European High Speed […]
ONKAPARINGA VALLEY BRIDGE – TRACK-DECK INTERACTION
The Onkaparinga Valley Bridge (OVB) is located on the Seaford Rail Extension south of Noarlunga, South Australia. It is currently under construction and commissioning is planned for late 2012. At […]
NORTH SOUTH JUNCTION IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
The North-South Junction (NSJ) Improvement Project near Wellington was a large and complex multi disciplinary project delivered in a very busy metro and freight corridor. The project involved enlarging tunnels, […]
MONITORING OF BALLASTED RAIL TRACK WITH GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCMENT
Large repetitive stresses induced from heavy train traffic can cause significant degradation of ballasted rail tracks, leading to poor track geometry and stability. This, in turn, results in decreased track […]
Low Cost Railway Level Crossings
The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Rail Innovation is conducting a tranche of industry-led research projects looking into safer rail level crossings. This paper will provide an overview of the […]
LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT OF RAILWAY BRIDGES – DEFECT MANAGMENT
A large number of Australian rail bridges were constructed over 80 years ago and the rail industry is suffering from their ever increasing maintenance costs and continued budget constraints. Making […]
INDONESIAN RAILWAY IN THE CLOUDS – Developing a new railway at 2500 meters above sea level
PT Freeport operates one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines in West Papua, Indonesia. They are developing a railway system as the mining operation transitions from open cut […]
ACCELERATED BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION – AUCKLAND ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT BRIDGES
Innovative design, new construction techniques and staged construction saved both time and money and reduced the impact of construction of five bridges on heavily trafficked Auckland roads. The adoption of […]