Railroad Subgrade Support And Performance Indicators
Kentucky Transportation CenterRAILROAD SUBGRADE SUPPORT ANDPERFORMANCE INDICATORSA Review of Available Laboratory and In-Situ Testing MethodsByMichael T. McHenry, Graduate Research AssistantandJerry G. Rose, ProfessorDepartment of Civil EngineeringUniversity of KentuckyLexington, KY 40506January 2012
McHenry and Rose, 2012AbstractThe quality and support of the subgrade portion of a railroad trackbed are vital tothe overall performance of the track structure. The subgrade is an integral component ofthe track structure and its performance properties must be considered in order toeffectively assess its influence on subsequent track quality. European and Asian railwaysare particularly advanced in implementing subgrade performance indicators into theirtrack designs and assessments. As train speed and tonnage increase in the U.S., theevaluation and influence of subgrade performance will become even more paramount.There are numerous means of measuring and predicting subgrade performance. Bothlaboratory and in-situ test methods have been used. A review of available testingmethods is presented herein in the context of railroad subgrade assessment. Discussionon the applicability of each test to the American railroad industry is also included. In-situtests likely provide the greater advantage in railway engineering because results cantypically be obtained quickly, more cost effectively, and with a larger data set. Newerrail-bound, continuous testing devices, while not testing the subgrade directly, areextremely convenient and will likely become more common in the future.i
McHenry and Rose, 2012Table of Contents1.0 Introduction .12.0 Trackbed Design .23.0 Measuring Subgrade Performance .43.1 Laboratory Tests .43.2 In-Situ Tests.134.0 Other In-Situ Tests for Railroad Trackbeds .275.0 Discussion and Conclusions .29References .30ii
McHenry and Rose, 2012List of Tables and FiguresFigures1. Idealized trackbed cross-section2. Typical American track substructure: clean ballast on a ballast soil conglomerate,eventually reaching a subgrade soil.3. Unconfined Compression Test4. Direct Shear Test5. Stress relationship for a direct shear test on a granular soils6. California Bearing Ratio Test7. Triaxial Test parameters8. Example of what a split cell triaxial sample might look like to test theeffectiveness of a geosynthetic in pumping prevention9. Typical stress-strain behavior of a cyclically loaded soil showing the accumulatedplastic strain and resilient modulus10. Cyclic loading tests: a) Simple Shear sample, b) Hollow Cylinder Apparatussample, and c) Resonant Column Apparatus11. Field Vane Shear Test12. a) Plate Load Test diagram showing various plate sizes available and b) PLTbeing performed from below a truck.13. Standard Penetration Test with split-spoon sampler14. Typical CPTU cone showing possible locations for pore pressure measurement15. Stratigraphics CPT truck outfitted with High Railers performing penetrationtesting on an existing trackbed in Wisconsin16. PANDA Penetrometer17. Full-Displacement Pressuremeter18. The Flat Dilatometer19. Typical FWD mounted on a trailer for use on highway pavement surfaces20. A LWFD being used on an asphalt trackbed layer in Austria21. The Portancemètre22. DyStaFiT testing device23. A version of the adapted Portancemètre during its development24. Track Loading Vehicle (TLV) and TTCI Test Track in Pueblo, ColoradoTables1. Applicability of Standard In-Situ Tests for Various Parameters and SoilConditionsiii
McHenry and Rose, 20121.0 IntroductionDespite its importance in track design, only a limited amount of information isavailable regarding the evaluation of subgrade performance in railroad trackbeds.Historically, the substructure has been given less attention than the superstructure of arailroad trackbed (Selig and Waters, 1994). The subgrade provides the roadbed uponwhich all other components of the track structure are placed and has a significant impacton the track’s ultimate quality and required maintenance. Figure 1 presents the typicalidealized railway substructure.Figure 1: Idealized trackbed cross-sectionAt least a portion of the difficulty in the evaluation of subgrade is that so manyfactors affect its performance including classification properties, moisture content, shearstrength, consolidation, and stiffness parameters. Ballast fouling, ballast pockets,pumping of soil fines through the ballast, and slope stability failure are all issues that canarise as a result of poor subgrade and drainage conditions. Additionally, the loadingcharacteristics of the track dictate the required quality of subgrade. These include thetype of transport (freight or passenger), train speed, axle loads, train configuration, wheelcondition, tie spacing, and rail condition (Neidhart and Shultz, 2011).Section 2 discusses subgrade and trackbed design procedures. Section 3 presentstypical laboratory and in-situ testing procedures that have potential for American railwayapplications. While this may serve as a basic overview of soil testing, the goal is to focuson the railway engineering applications of each testing procedure, for which limitedrailway research exists. Section 4 covers some of the new rail-bound, continuous testingdevices and Section 5 presents general discussion and conclusions.1
McHenry and Rose, 20122.0 Trackbed DesignIn the U.S., A.N. Talbot and his committee performed and developed much of theearly trackbed design practices. His classic design procedure varied the thickness of theballast section based on an assumed bearing capacity of the subgrade (Hay, 1982).Modern track design and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-WayAssociation (AREMA) Manual for Railway Engineering Recommended Practicessuggests limiting the stress on the subgrade to 20 psi (AREMA, 2010). Talbot’s designdoes not include consideration for subballast or capping layer, nor the effects of repeatedloadings. Two equations have traditionally been used to select ballast thickness (Seligand Waters, 1994):𝑃𝑐 𝑃𝑐 50𝑃𝑚10 ℎ1.3516.8 𝑃𝑎ℎ1.25(Japanese National Railways Equation)(1)(Talbot Equation)(2)Where:Pc subgrade pressure (kPa for JNR Equation and psi for Talbot Equation)Pm or Pa applied stress on the ballast (same units as Pc)h ballast depth (cm for JNR Equation and in. for Talbot Equation)Allowed subgrade pressures are determined, most typically, using the UnconfinedCompression Test or the California Bearing Ratio Test, although most often they areassumed. While this approach does take into account the strength of the subgrade, it failsto consider the soil’s deformability and subsequent settlement over time (Gallego et al.,2011). European nations including France, Italy, and Germany as well as Japan havetypically performed bearing capacity testing on track subgrades and subballasts, usingthis data to design for layer thicknesses. It has not been until recently that layer stiffnessor modulus has been incorporated into international design to account for trackbeddeformation. (Rose, Teixeira, & Ridgeway, 2010). Obviously, international railwaysrecognize the importance of track stiffness and its effect on design practices.This approach treats the subgrade as an external component that is not integral tothe trackbed itself. Many of these design standards are based on early work by A.N.Talbot and fail to take into account several important factors, including quality ofmaterials (both aggregates and soils), effect of repeated loading cycles, and themagnitude of these loads. As trackbed design evolves it will be necessary to treat thesubgrade as an integral part of the trackbed that operates in harmony with the sub-ballast,ballast, ties, and rail.Most trackbeds in the U.S., in contrast with those of the European and Asianhigh-speed network, have not been “engineered.” Older trackbeds that have not beencompletely rebuilt consist of a ballast bed resting on subgrade soil as shown in Figure 2.Between the two layers is usually a layer of ballast-soil conglomerate composed of2
McHenry and Rose, 2012deteriorated ballast and soil fines. This layer acts as a quasi-subballast, but is extremelyvaried in composition and difficult to assess. Traditionally, as the trackbed settles to anundesirable level due to subgrade settlement and ballast degradation, ballast is added toraise the track. This typically does not solve the problem and after some time in service,more ballast is required. This cyclic process of ballast dumping, surfacing, andsubsequent track settlement has been the status quo in the U.S. since the 19th century.With high maintenance costs and short maintenance windows, it is becoming moredesirable to better understand the performance of subgrade soils under railway loading inthe U.S.Figure 2: Typical American track substructure: clean ballast resting on aballast-soil conglomerate, eventually reaching a subgrade soil.3
McHenry and Rose, 20123.0 Measuring Subgrade PerformanceRailroad subgrade, and soil performance in general, is governed by twocharacteristics – strength and deformation (Selig and Lutenegger, 1991). Strength refersto the soil’s shear strength properties and whether or not the allowable shear strength inthe soil has been exceeded by the applied shear stress. This characteristic is oftenquantified with the bearing capacity or undrained shear strength parameters.Deformation refers to settlement (both elastic and plastic) occurring in the subgrade. Theelastic settlement of a trackbed can easily be observed as a heavy freight train passes by.The track deforms downward and rebounds as the loading is released. The plastic, andthus permanent, settlement of the trackbed is harder to observe, however. The distinctionbetween strength and stiffness (deformation per a given load) is important to understandin railroad subgrade design. Bearing capacity is considered to be the general indicator ofstrength, while elastic deformation per applied load intensity is represented by the soilmodulus. It should also be noted that the stratification of the subgrade may also affecttrack performance.Of particular interest to trackbed research are the availability of in-situ andlaboratory tests to determine a subgrade’s modulus. Trackbed design programs, such asKENTRACK and GEOTRACK (Selig and Waters, 1994), require the input of a subgrademodulus for structural analysis. The output of KENTRACK is a life cycle estimate of thetrackbed structure. The life cycle output can only be as reliable as the input parameters.In fact, it is often found in such analyses, that the subgrade quality dictates the overall lifecycle of the trackbed (Rose and Konduri, 2006).Strength and deformation properties are both important in measuring subgradeperformance. Overall track stiffness, of which subgrade stiffness is a segment of,typically is not considered in U.S. trackbed design practices. Therefore, it isadvantageous for future subgrade testing to have a means of calculating soil modulus astrack stiffness becomes a prevailing means of designing and assessing railroad trackbeds.3.1 Laboratory TestsPrior to determining a soil’s strength and deformation properties, it is necessary torun the gamut of soil characterization tests to determine the type of soil that is beingtested and evaluated. Numerous laboratory tests are used to do so including theAatterberg Limits --- Liquid Limit Test (ASTM D423) and Plastic Limit Test (ASTMD424), Moisture Content Test (ASTM D2216), and Moisture Density Test --- Proctor(ASTM D698 ) as well as Grain Size Distribution testing. These characteristics are usedto classify the soil, typically according to the Unified Soil Classification System. TheAREMA Manual for Railway Engineering (2010) presents the range of soilclassifications and their predicted suitability for railway subgrade applications.Historically, moisture content has been known to have major implications in theperformance of most all soils and especially railroad subgrades. In-situ moisture contentsat a particular site vary significantly. The shear strength of a soil, for example, dissipatesrapidly for many soil types as the soil’s moisture content increases beyond optimum.Laboratory soil tests to determine both strength and deformation properties follow.4
McHenry and Rose, 20123.1.1 Unconfined Compression Strength Test (ASTM D2166)The unconfined compression test is simply an unconsolidated, undrained (UU)triaxial test run without a confining pressure. The specimen is sheared quickly enough,so that the drainage of pore water is minimal. The test is limited to soils with sufficientcohesion to permit testing without confinement (typically clays). It is recommended thatthe unconfined compression test only be used with clays that are normally consolidated toslightly overconsolidated, since heavily overconsolidated soil specimens may containfissures that act as planes of weakness. In the case of heavily overconsolidatedspecimens, a UU triaxial test should be used. Figure 3 shows the standard setup for anunconfined compression test.The unconfined compression test is performed by straining a cylindrical soilspecimen at a constant rate, typically between 0.5% and 2.0% per minute. Slower ratesare used for stiffer soils and faster rates for softer soils. The displacement and the appliedload are measured as the specimen is sheared. A stress/strain curve is plotted containingthese data points. The unconfined compression strength, qu, is the peak of thestress/strain curve. The simple relationship derived from the specimen’s Mohr circledictates that the undrained shear strength su is equal to qu/2.Figure 3: Unconfined Compression Test (Smith, 2006)There is some applicability of the unconfined compression to the type of loadingsobserved in railroad subgrades. The unconfined compression test and the undrainedshear strength are used to determine how a soil will perform in rapid loading situationswhere pore water does not have time to drain from the soil. Railroad loadings, whilecyclic in nature, are still considered relatively fast loading periods. The unconfinedcompression test is still used today primarily because of its simplicity and repeatability.5
McHenry and Rose, 20123.1.2 Direct Shear (ASTM D3080)Also known as the shear box test, the direct shear test provides shear strengthproperties for soils with consolidated, drained loading conditions. The test is typicallyperformed on noncohesive soils (i.e. soils for which the unconfined compressive strengthcannot be determined). In this test a cylindrical specimen is placed inside a square shearbox. The diameter of the specimen must be at least 2 inches or 10 times the minimumparticle size, whichever is larger. The box consists of an upper and lower portion with thefailure plane occurring between the two portions (see Figure 4). A loading cap applies anormal force to the soil specimen while a load cell applies a shearing force to thespecimen. The lower portion of the box remains stationary. The applied normal stress(i.e. overburden stress) and shear stress at failure are recorded. Typically, at least threetests are run varying the applied normal stress. Each test will provide one point along theMohr-Coulomb failure envelope. The resulting slope of the Mohr-Coulomb failureenvelope is known as the friction angle (see Figure 5).Figure 4: Direct Shear Test6
Shear Stress at Failure (S)McHenry and Rose, 2012Friction Angle ϕcohesion 0Normal/Overburden Stress σFigure 5: Stress relationship for a direct shear test on granular soilsBecause an appropriate height cannot be determined to calculate shear strains, astress-strain relationship and any associated moduli cannot be determined from this test.Advantages to the direct shear test include its relative simplicity and results that can beobtained quickly relative to other consolidated, drained shear strength tests. Failure inthe direct shear box is forced to occur on the horizontal plane between the portions of thebox and thus may not occur on the weakest plane in the soil.The direct shear test can also be used to study the interface between twodissimilar materials. The direct shear test could be used to analyze the interface betweenthe dissimilar layers in a trackbed (subgrade and ballast, subgrade and asphalt, subgradeand granular sub-ballast, etc). The study of these interfaces is important forunderstanding the lateral stability of a trackbed’s cross-section. Little research isavailable on lateral stability of a trackbed. However, frictional interface betweentrackbed layers may influence track buckling or lateral stability under eccentric loads.While simple in nature, the direst shear may be the most convenient test available tostudy these interfaces.3.1.3 California Bearing Ratio (ASTM D1883)The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Test has been used for many years forhighway and airfield design. The CBR test is a penetration test used to determine thebearing capacity of a soil by comparing it with that of a well-graded crushed stone –namely California limestone. The CBR value reported for a given penetration value is apercentage of the load required to obtain that same penetration value for Californialimestone. Typical CBR values range from 1.0 to 5.0 for fine-grained soils, 5.0 to 80.0for coarse-grained soils and 80 for high-quality rock. To perform the test a 50 mmplunger is penetrated into a standard mold soil sample (see Figure 6) at a constant rate,7
McHenry and Rose, 2012typically 0.05 inches per minute. The load required to maintain that rate is recorded atpenetrations ranging from 0.025 inch to 0.300 inch. The CBR is calculated by comparingthe ratio of the load required for a given soil at 0.10 inch penetration with that for theCalifornia Limestone (1000 psi). This relationship is shown in Equation 3.CBR(%) 100 𝑃𝑠𝑃𝑐(3)Ps Measured load for soil at given penetrationPc Measured load for California Limestone at given penetrationFigure 6: California Bearing Ratio Test (Wilkinson, 1997)CBR tests can be performed at various moisture contents and dry densities as obtainedfrom standard Proctor testing. They can also be run using soaked or unsoaked samples.Typically CBR values are reported using soaked tests for highway applications, assumingthe subgrade is at its weakest condition. The unsoaked condition may be moreappropriate for railroad applications (Rose & Lees, 2008).While CBR results are technically an indication of strength, researchers havedeveloped several empirical formulas relating CBR to soil resilient modulus (ER) forroadway subgrade, including:For fine-grained soils with soaked CBR 10:𝐸𝑅 (𝑝𝑠𝑖) 1500 𝐶𝐵𝑅(AASHTO, 1993)(4)8
McHenry and Rose, 2012For a wide range of soils:𝐸𝑅 (𝑝𝑠𝑖) 2555 𝐶𝐵𝑅 0.62(AASHTO MEPDG)(5)As with most empirical relationships, Equations 4 and 5 have proven inconsistentat times and it is still debatable under which conditions it is suitable to use them(Sukumaran, 2002). The relationships are commonly used as estimates, though, becauseof the complex testing and equipment necessary to directly calculate a soil’s resilientmodulus. This is discussed further in the section on cyclic loading of soils.3.1.4 Triaxial Testing (ASTM D2850, D4767)Triaxial testing
Modern track design and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Manual for Railway Engineering Recommended Practices suggests limiting the stress on the subgrade to 20 psi (AREMA, 2010). Talbot’s design does not include consideration for subballas
Union Pacific Railroad United States Army Military Railroad System Utah Central Railway Utah Railway Company Utah Transit Authority V&S Railroad Inc. Valdosta Railway Ventura County Railway Company Verde Canyon Railroad Vermont Rail System Vicksburg Southern Railroad Virginia Southern Division Wabash Central Railroad Walking Horse & Eastern Railroad Warren & Trumbull Railroad WATCO .
Mar 06, 2020 · Design Manual Chapter 6 - Geotechnical 6E - Subgrade Design and Construction Subgrade Design and Construction 1 Revised: 2013 Edition A. General Information The subgrade is that portion of the pavement system that is the layer of
An Overview of the Railroad Retirement Program . When the Great Depression drove the already unstable railroad pension system into a state of crisis, the railroad industry . a national Railroad Retirement system through the Railroad Retirement and Carriers’ Taxing Acts. The legislation passed, but again faced
ERDC/GSL TR-12-20 ii Abstract Design and evaluation of rigid pavements are based upon the modulus of subgrade reaction (K) as determined by a plate-bearing test.When the pavement support system, which includes the subgrade and/or base
of the requirements and standards for the design and construction of Grade Separation Projects. Compliance with these Guidelines is required to expedite the review and approval of design and construction submittals by the Railroad. Railroad review is limited exclusively to potential impacts on existing and future Railroad operations. The Railroad
Railroad Clerical Program contains two main parts. The first part deals with the railroad industry and provides: an outline of basic railroad history, a glossary of railroad terms,, a description of the kinds of work done in railroad offices, samp
Railroad Maintenance Mechanic - Job Description A Railroad Maintenance Mechanic is responsible for assisting in the maintenance and restoration of the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad's historic railroad equipment, some that is over 100 years old. This position is primarily based out of the restoration shop, but will assist
2.2 Light weight deflectometer (LWD) test on untreated and stabilized subgrade Light weight deflectometer (LWD) had the advantages of non‐destructive, portable use, much lower loading capacity and lower cost; therefore making it suitable for measuring the stiffness for subgrade and gravel pavement.
