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Advancement Of Rail Ballast Testing Methodologies And Design Implications, Buddhima Indraratna, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn, Fernanda Ferreira

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Given the limited capacity of available railway tracks in Australia to sustain increasingly faster and heavier trains, the development of innovative and sustainable ballasted tracks is essential for Australian transport infrastructure. Upon repeated train loading, ballast aggregates become degraded and fouled owing to the intrusion of external fines either from the subbase or surface, which decreases track drainage potentially leading to track instability. This paper reviews some advancements in testing methodologies and design implications of ballasted tracks stabilized with artificial inclusions, including geocomposites, energy absorbing rubber mats and end-of-life tires. Measured test data shows that the use of these waste …