ABSTRACT
It is often said that “one cannot manage what one cannot measure.” This chapter discusses how a manager/engineer can be guided by measurements of track and its substructure, as described in Chapter 8, so that he or she can interpret and make decisions based on the collected data. The initial sections of this chapter discuss cost considerations in track design, track construction types, and remedial trackwork. Then management of the ballast layer and track maintenance needs as indicated by the substructure functional and structural condition are discussed. This is followed by examples of substructure maintenance and the equipment used, then examples of substructure problem management, and then methods of subballast and subgrade rehabilitation. The final section discusses how to use the observational method to manage track when there is a lack of available measured data to base engineering decisions on but when action must be taken nevertheless.
