ABSTRACT
Railway has multiple advantages of reliable service, fast and versatile to both passenger and cargo as compared to other modes of transportation infrastructure. However, the efficiency and safety of railway engineering are dependent on the track structure. This paper evaluates the contribution of the multi-functional composite geotextiles to the railway track, through a laboratory test carried out at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, in collaboration with international industry practitioners. The contributions are assessed through the quantification of the traffic improvement as well as the reduction in ballast and sub-ballast fouling for three sets of simulated cyclic train loading test model, Model 1 as control, with Model 2 and Model 3 using different types of multi-functional composite geotextiles. The findings validate the reduction of vertical deformation and reduction of fouling by using multi-functional composite geotextiles, ultimately allowing the railway track to support additional train traffic and longer lifespan.
