Geotrack™

Reduce overall cost of ownership, maximize track component life, increase efficiency and effectiveness in track infrastructure maintenance planning with Geotrack™. Geotrack™ is a three-dimensional, multi-layer model for determining the responses of the track and subgrade as a function of:

• Wheel loads
• Properties of rails and ties
• Properties of ballast, sub-ballast and underlying soil layers
• Dimensions including tie spacing and layer thicknesses

Applicable for any type of vehicle on any type of track, the model can be used to examine the effects of loads on track component performance, rail and tie properties on track performance, and pad stiffness, as well as ballast stiffness on track behavior and performance. It can also be used to examine the effects of track subgrade conditions on track performance, and to conduct ballast depth design and track modulus/stiffness analysis.

The Track Substructure Management System is an interactive tool that provides background information, guidelines, and recommendations for managing localized substructure problems. Most useful for frontline track maintenance personnel, the application covers the substructure basics for substructure design, track drainage, ballast, sub-ballast, subgrade, and track transitions. It provides guidelines such as “how to inspect” and “what to do,” including important warning signs, inspection techniques, troubleshooting, glossary, and summary table. This application is available for use on computers, tablets, or mobile devices.

Analyze and visualize your track and substructure. Our comprehensive software package can increase safety, reliability, and efficiency in your operations and infrastructure.

Model substructure movements. Quantify, analyze, and optimize track substructures to ensure safety and reliability of your infrastructure.

Visualize weaknesses.
Understand and prioritize potential issues before they impact your operations.

Validation

Geotrack™ is a software for track structure analysis under vertical quasi-dynamic loads, and was developed by Transportation Technology Center, Inc. DBA MxV Rail and is primarily intended for use on personal computers (PC). It is a three-dimensional elastic multilayer model for the analysis of conventional railway track structures under vertical wheel loadings. The model can analyze up to four superimposed axles. The trackbed layers are treated as linear elastic materials. However, the moduli may be made stress-state-dependent by using an iterative solution scheme. In this case, the problem is solved repeatedly under the full specified loading conditions until the stress-dependent modulus for each layer is consistent with the layer stresses. The user selects the number of iterations, but three to four iterations generally are sufficient to ensure convergence of the soil moduli.

References

1. Chang, C. S., C. W. Adegoke, and E. T. Selig (November 1980) Geotrack model for track performance, Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Segment, ASCE, Vol. 106, No. GT11, pp. 1201-1218.
2. Alva-Hurtado, J. E. (May 1980) “A methodology to predict the elastic and inelastic behavior of railroad ballast,” Ph.D Dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Department of Civil Engineering, Amherst, MA.
3. Stewart, H. E. and E. T. Selig (November 1982) “Predicted and measured resilient track response,” Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Segment, ASCE, Vol. 108, No. GT11, pp. 1432-1442.
4. Stewart, H. E. (May 1982) “The prediction of track performance under dynamic traffic -loading,” Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Department of Civil Engineering, Amherst, MA.
5. Thompson, M. R. (December 1977) “FAST® ballast and subgrade materials evaluation,” Ballast and Foundation Materials Research Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for U.S. DOT, FRA, Report No. FRA/ORD-77/32, Washington, D.C.
6. D. Li, J. Hyslip, T. Sussmann, S. Chrismer (September 2015) Railway Geotechnics, Book, CRC Press

Learn about Geotrack™ for your projects