In 1986, the FIP Commission on Prefabrication issued the state-of-art report "Concrete Railway Sleepers", which included design considerations, manufacturing methods, rail fastening systems and field performance. During the two decades since that report, precast concrete has gained importance in the field of railway track systems for plain track, switches and crossings, tunnels and other applications. Developments in production methods for concrete sleepers in switch and crossing layouts to cope with the complex geometry and the industry's confidence in their performance have contributed to the huge increase in the use of this type of sleeper. The use of slab track for high-speed track has also grown, particularly where either new track is built or where existing track is renewed and long periods of track possession are possible. There has also been progress in the development of plant and equipment for the installation, renewal and maintenance of concrete sleepered track. With machines now able to replace existing track at a rate of 5000 sleepers (over 3 km track) per day, choosing concrete sleepers can reduce the time on site, meaning tracks can be reopened quickly whilst reducing labour requirements and costs. Today, precast concrete is considered to be the best performing and preferred material for railway sleepers, due to the following factors: long-term durability; improved geometric retention of track and greater weight vital for high-speed and heavy freight lines; improved elasticity of track; improved ride quality; low first cost; minimum life cycle cost; low cost of maintenance; environmental friendliness - no chemical treatment required and can be recycled. As all aspects of precast concrete railway track systems, from design through manufacture to installation and maintenance, have progressed since the publication of the FIP report, an update was considered timely, in order to provide a synthesis of currently available information. This new edition covers quality, design, production, durability, maintenance and environmental considerations, and includes survey on the use of precast concrete track systems in over 30 countries.

The use of concrete sleepers in railways started in the 1940s. They are currently used in many countries thoughout the world at a rate of over 12 million per year. This report discusses the various types of sleeper which have been developed - monoblock, two-block, reinforced and prestressed concrete. Separate sections deal with design, rail fastening systems, manufacture, quality control and testing, installation and performance, and research and development.

Due to increasing traffic flows the extension of transport infrastructure with rail roads and high speed lines is an ongoing process worldwide. Ballastless track systems with concrete slabs are used more and more. Following the first trials in the 1970s and more than four decades of R&D work on ballastless track, the level of development is such that it can be confirmed that ballastless track is suitable for use as an alternative to ballasted track. This book makes a contribution to the state of the art of ballastless track by describing the basics for designing the ballastless track. Important advice is provided regarding the construction of ballastless track on earthworks and in tunnels. There is also a description of the technical history of the development of ballastless track on bridges and the ensuing findings for bridge design. The state of the art of ballastless track for switches, important information on details concerning drainage, transitions, accessibility for road vehicles and experience gleaned from maintenance round off the work. Selected chapters from the German concrete yearbook are now being published in the new English "Beton-Kalender Series" for the benefit of an international audience. Since it was founded in 1906, the Ernst & Sohn "Beton-Kalender" has been supporting developments in reinforced and prestressed concrete. The aim was to publish a yearbook to reflect progress in "ferro-concrete" structures until - as the book's first editor, Fritz von Emperger (1862-1942), expressed it - the "tempestuous development" in this form of construction came to an end. However, the "Beton-Kalender" quickly became the chosen work of reference for civil and structural engineers, and apart from the years 1945-1950 has been published annually ever since.

TCRP report 155 provides guidelines and descriptions for the design of various common types of light rail transit (LRT) track. The track structure types include ballasted track, direct fixation ("ballastless") track, and embedded track. The report considers the characteristics and interfaces of vehicle wheels and rail, tracks and wheel gauges, rail sections, alignments, speeds, and track moduli. The report includes chapters on vehicles, alignment, track structures, track components, special track work, aerial structures/bridges, corrosion control, noise and vibration, signals, traction power, and the integration of LRT track into urban streets.

Economic growth, security and sustainability across Europe are at risk due to ageing railway infrastructure systems. At present, the majority of such systems are aging and some have even reached their initial design lives. These issues align with a major challenge in civil engineering: how to restore and improve urban infrastructure and built environments. Policy, environmental and physical barriers must be addressed and overcome. The complex and interconnected nature of the problem means that there is a need for academia, industry, communities and governments to work collaboratively. The challenges posed by extreme events from natural and man-made disasters are urgent. Rail Infrastructure Resilience: A Best-Practices Handbook presents developed improvement methods for rail infrastructure systems, toward resilience to extreme conditions. It shows how best to use new information in the engineering design, maintenance, construction and renewal of rail infrastructure resilience, through knowledge exchange and capability development. The book presents the outcome of a major European research project, known as the RISEN project. RISEN aimed to enhance knowledge creation and transfer using both international and intersectoral secondment mechanisms among European Advanced Rail Research Universities and SMEs, and Non-EU, leading rail universities, providing methodological approaches and practical tools for restoring and improving railway infrastructure systems for extreme events. Edited and written by members of this project, this book will be essential reading for researchers and practitioners hoping to find practical solutions to the challenges of rail infrastructure resilience. Offers a best-practices handbook for rail infrastructure resilience from the leaders in the field Paints a holistic picture of the rail transport system, showing that infrastructure maintenance intervention can be enhanced through advanced monitoring systems and resilience design Presents rail infrastructure resilience and advanced condition monitoring, allowing a better understanding of the critical maintenance, renewal and retrofit needs of railways Considers how academia, industry, communities and governments can work collaboratively in order to tackle aggregated problems in rail infrastructure resilience Presents the findings from the RISEN project, the leading European project on enhancing knowledge creation and transfer of expertise on rail infrastructure resilience

This volume presents selected papers presented during the 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics. The papers address the geotechnical challenges in design, construction, maintenance, monitoring, and upgrading of roads, railways, airfields, and harbor facilities and other ground transportation infrastructure with the goal of providing safe, economic, environmental, reliable and sustainable infrastructures. This volume will be of interest to postgraduate students, academics, researchers, and consultants working in the field of civil and transport infrastructure.