A Framework for Defining a Sustainability Rating System for Railway Track-Beds

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Bressi ◽  
Gaetano Di Mino ◽  
Davide Lo Presti
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Road Engineering ◽  
Maximum Score ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Sustainability Framework ◽  
Economic And Social Impacts ◽  
Design Construction

Railways perform a significant role in the transportation system and they have relevant environmental, economic and social impacts. They are currently engineered optimizing every singular aspect rather than considering a broader system for improving the sustainability of the overall infrastructure. Thus, it is necessary to promote an effort to define a global sustainability framework for conceiving the design, construction and management of railway infrastructure. The Sustainable Rating System (SRS) proposed in this paper is a tool under development that evaluates different alternatives of railway track-bed structure. Inspired by similar efforts in the field of road engineering such as Greenroads and Greenpave, this SRS aims to be the first entirely dedicated to support railway engineers, designers and managers in taking more responsible decisions with regards to the sustainable design and maintenance of railway track-beds. It is based on a library that examines different solutions and treatments for each element of the track-bed and a table of points that assigns different scores to the different alternatives. To achieve the highest score in terms of sustainability it is necessary to maximize the points assigned to every element. In other words, the maximum score requires adopting best practices leading to more sustainable choices such as exploiting the use of recycled materials, reducing the use of non-renewable resources, the energy consumption, air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

scholarly journals Verification of GNSS Measurements of the Railway Track Using Standard Techniques for Determining Coordinates

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 2874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezary Specht ◽  
Andrzej Wilk ◽  
Wladyslaw Koc ◽  
Krzysztof Karwowski ◽  
Paweł Dąbrowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measuring System ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Railway Line ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Spatial System ◽  
Mobile Satellite ◽  
Gnss Measurements ◽  
Geometric Layout

The problem of the reproduction of the railway geometric layout in the global spatial system is currently solved in the form of measurements that use geodetic railway networks and also, in recent years, efficient methods of mobile positioning (mainly satellite and inert). The team of authors from the Gdańsk University of Technology and the Maritime University in Gdynia as part of the research project InnoSatTrack is looking for effective and efficient methods for the inventory of railway lines. The research is part of a wider investigation BRIK (Research and Development in Railway Infrastructure, in polish: Badania i Rozwój w Infrastrukturze Kolejowej). This paper presents a comparative analysis of the problem of the reproduction of the trajectory of the measuring system using tacheometry, satellite measurements made using a measurement trolley, and mobile satellite measurements. Algorithms enabling the assessment of the compliance of satellite measurements with classic tacheometric measurements were presented. To this end, the authors held measurement sessions using modern geodetic instruments and satellite navigation on a section of the railway line. The results of the measurements indicate the convergence of the level of accuracy achieved by different measuring techniques.

Development of a Methodology to Calculate Stresses in Track Components

2005 ◽  
Vol 219 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
F P Naudé ◽  
R D Fröhling ◽  
N J Theron
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Analytical Model ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
The Past ◽  
Input Parameters ◽  
Sensitive Parameters ◽  
Modelling Methods

The analytical model being used by Spoornet to calculate rail stresses on railway track for the past three decades was revisited and improved. The modifications include the incorporation of current best practices and presenting the engineer with guidelines on how to determine input parameters, which are normally difficult to obtain. The most sensitive parameters were investigated, and experimental results, as well as modern modelling methods, were used to establish nominal input values and guidelines for determining such values. The improved analytical model provides engineers with a suitably accurate tool for calculating rail and track component stresses, without the need to build detailed models of the track under investigation.

scholarly journals Research to justify the perspective use of individual coordinate systems for contiguous objects modelling with the case study of Moscow Saints Petersburg railway

2021 ◽  
Vol 310 ◽  
pp. 06003
Author(s):  
Aleksei Portnov
Keyword(s):  
Railway Track ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Information Modelling ◽  
Spatial Objects ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Mercator Projection ◽  
Building Information ◽  
The Given

The science of cartography should provide a historical mission, that is navigation, and also meet modern agendas including significantly expanding opportunities for BIM technologies, integrating functions of GIS and CAD systems. In this regard, cartography should be considered a fundamental basis for modern trends while creating digital twins of spatial objects. The practical part of the provided experiments included data collecting aimed at Moscow Saints Petersburg railway infrastructure, the calculation of optimal parameters of the oblique Mercator projection in the Hotine version for the given object, and the construction of a 3D railway track model. This research investigated the principles of unique cartographic projections, strictly focused on the certain functioning objects. The research can helps many users and designers of digital twins of spatial objects pay their attention to the applied cartography specifics concerning these issues and also take into account the recommendations while creating Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Infrastructure Information Modelling (IIM) as well.

scholarly journals Looking ahead - from fossil fuel to a circular bioeconomy in Europe. Evolution and behaviour

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 296-306
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Zaman ◽  
Giani Ionel Grădinaru ◽  
Bogdan Florin Matei
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Resource Efficiency ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
Energy Industry ◽  
The Eu

Abstract Giving due consideration to sustainability, the new concept of bioeconomy has faced strong support from international policymakers, changing the way the economy is currently working. And it does not involve only the replacement of fossil feedstock with bio-based fuels, but also acquiring value from waste and bringing to light the resource efficiency that can lead to a smooth transition from a linear to a circular economy. This paper aims to track the EU states movement in implementing the bioeconomy best practices by building clusters based on their progress in adapting their industries to the new requirements. To make this possible, we created two scenarios for recording the evolution of the energy industry in 27 countries: the first one that groups them according to the fossil-fuel sources, and the second one based on renewable resources. Our results revealed that the biomass tends to be used as a complementary source and not a substitute, in comparison to the traditional fuels. Same actors keep the leading positions in both scenarios, making us believe that they may face strong challenges in reaching the European Commission goals. Thus, the present study emphasizes the need to develop highly efficient policies for all EU members to keep the same path.

Presentation of the 2014 Revisions to the RCC-M Code

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Malouines
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
International Standards ◽  
French Society ◽  
Industrial Experience ◽  
International Environment ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Service Inspection ◽  
Design Construction

The paper describes the general approach followed by AFCEN, the French Society for Codified Rules for Design, Construction and In-Service Inspection of Nuclear Island Components, from the technical and organizational points of view. The RCC-M code, reissued in 2012 and modified with addenda in 2013 and 2014, is presented. The main new topics of activity of the RCC-M Subcommittee are considered: conformity with regulation(s), use of International Standards, equivalence with other codes and harmonization, and new requirements for the quality management system. The paper highlights how industrial experience is currently being integrated into the RCC-M code, and how the code is evolving to take into account the enlargement of the AFCEN Membership, new AFCEN organization rules, and the international environment, and best practices. The processes for dealing with requests for modifications and interpretations are described.

scholarly journals Finite Element Method in Assessing Strength Properties of a Railway Surface and Its Elements

Symmetry ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Kukulski ◽  
Marianna Jacyna ◽  
Piotr Gołębiowski
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Models ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Strength Properties ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
High Speeds ◽  
Rail Vehicles ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Numerical Tools ◽  
Strength And Durability ◽  
Railway Turnout

Development of railway infrastructure at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the speeds of trains in passenger and freight traffic are the result of improving the structure of modern rail vehicles and railway infrastructure optimization. The structure of the railway surface, which enables high speeds and transferring ever greater loads and pressures of up to 25–30 t/vehicle axis, must meet very strict strength and durability requirements. This paper discusses mathematical and numerical tools used in simulation and experimental tests of railway surfaces, as well as its selected elements. Issues addressed in this paper concern, among others, modeling of the railway track, calculations related to its static and dynamic loading, and simulation of the technological process of selected elements of railway turnout. Selected results of the simulation tests on numerical models showing their behavior under different loads are also presented in this paper. The concept of symmetry is included in the possibility of applying the method described in the article both for testing other sections of railway lines, as well as for testing other elements in which stresses occur.

scholarly journals Full-scale multi-functional test platform for investigating mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems of high-speed railways

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-231
Author(s):  
Wanming Zhai ◽  
Kaiyun Wang ◽  
Zhaowei Chen ◽  
Shengyang Zhu ◽  
Chengbiao Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Functional Test ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
High Speed Railway ◽  
Ballastless Track ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Test Platform

Abstract Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure, a full-scale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper, and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples. Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways, namely the CRTS I, the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks, the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track, the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways. Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed, including the real bogie loading, multi-point loading and the impact loading. Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement, acceleration, pressure, structural strain and deformation, etc. Utilizing this test platform, both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated, being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways. As examples, three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways. Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform, which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.

A Review on Reduced Environmental Impacts of Alternative Green Concrete Productions

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-68
Author(s):  
Irem Sanal
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Conventional Concrete ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Green Concrete ◽  
Blended Cements ◽  
Concrete Production ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Design Construction

Concrete is being recognized for its environmental benefits in support of sustainable development. In response to growing environmental and economic forces, regulatories, engineers and owners are seeking efficient concrete solutions that conserve non-renewable resources. Global demands for regulating concrete waste arise from the growth of these environmental and economic issues. Thus, the concept of “green concrete” as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional concrete has been emerging. This publication seeks to demonstrate how concrete contributes to future generations' sustainable development, and will be of interest to policy makers, contractors and clients, as well as others involved with the design, construction or operation of buildings and infrastructure. The main objective of this study is to identify key sources contributing to CO2 emissions from concrete and compare 1) traditional concretes with green concretes, 2) concretes produced with blended cements, and 3) fly ash used as replacement of cement, in order to diminish the environmental impact of the concrete production.

Design & Construction of the Prai Swing Bridge

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashi Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Infrastructure Network ◽  
Double Track ◽  
Design Construction ◽  
Design And Construction

<p>This paper highlights the design and construction of the Prai Swing Bridge, a key component of the 328km long Electrified Double-Track project between Ipoh and Padang Besar in Malaysia. The bridge was built under a design &amp; build contract completed by MMC-Gamuda JV under the purview of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). It represents a milestone in the upgrading of the railway infrastructure network within Malaysia as part of the national push for development.</p>

Track geometry degradation and maintenance modelling: A review

2016 ◽  
Vol 232 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iman Soleimanmeigouni ◽  
Alireza Ahmadi ◽  
Uday Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Maintenance Scheduling ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Railway Transportation ◽  
Degradation Behaviour ◽  
Maintenance Strategies ◽  
Track Geometry ◽  
Track Maintenance ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Recovery Models ◽  
Scheduling Models

Increased demand for railway transportation is creating a need for higher train speeds and axle loads. These, in turn, increase the likelihood of track degradation and failures. Modelling the degradation behaviour of track geometry and development of applicable and effective maintenance strategies has become a challenging concern for railway infrastructure managers. During the last three decades, a number of track geometry degradation and maintenance modelling approaches have been developed to predict and improve the railway track geometry condition. In this paper, existing track geometry measures are identified and discussed. Available models for track geometry degradation are reviewed and classified. Tamping recovery models are also reviewed and discussed to identify the issues and challenges of different available methodologies and models. Existing track geometry maintenance models are reviewed and critical observations on each contribution are provided. The most important track maintenance scheduling models are identified and discussed. Finally, the paper provides directions for further research.

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