Relationship Between Missing Ballast and Development of Track Geometry Defects

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the relationship between missing ballast and the development of track geometry defects. More specifically, this paper looks at the relationship between missing crib and shoulder ballast, as identified by automated ballast profile measurement systems, and the development of ballast related track geometry defects. The missing ballast data was obtained from a hy-rail-mounted laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR)-based ballast profile measurement system [1] and then correlated to track geometry defects that developed along the inspected track locations on a major US class 1 railroad. The focus was on those track geometry defects that have been traditionally considered ballast-related, which is then compared with the calculated volume of missing ballast to see if there is a correlation. Further analyses looked at the effect of curve vs. tangent track as well as that of individual geometry defect classes. The results of this analysis showed that there was in fact a direct relationship between volume of missing ballast and the development of track geometry defects.