Before cars and automobiles, there were railroads. Railroads ushered in the Industrial Revolution and opened up the West here in the United States, as well as other areas of the world, to settlement. Growing up, you may even have had a railroad track and cars. Let’s face it, these machines are some of the most fascinating inventions, and odds are, you still say, “Look! There’s a train!” when you are driving down the highway.
SITECH Rocky Mountain offers construction management software and a whole host of technological innovations to help you conquer some of the biggest challenges you face on construction sites, including rail solutions, railway surveying, and help with railway track construction. Below, we’ll take a look at railway track construction. Learn more today.
A LOOK AT RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION
Pre-Construction Phase
Before you can begin to lay railroad tracks, you have to make sure the ground is prepared and you have to plan your route, which offers a lot of consideration considering the amount of private land in the United States. Preparation tasks such as subgrade drainage, road bed, and the slope of railroad tracks themselves need to be performed. Then all of the construction materials for the actual tracks, including railway sleepers, steel rails, rail fasteners, and other construction equipment, needs to be hauled to location.
Laying of the Ballast
The ballast can best be thought of as the rock bed that lies underneath the actual rails themselves that gives the ground stability and helps to funnel moisture away from tracks so it doesn’t pool. There are the top layers of ballast and then the bottom layers of ballast. The bottom ballast is laid first.
Laying of the Railway Sleepers
Railway sleepers are the cross sections that lie in-between the rails. They are also called railway ties. They ensure the correct spacing of the railway when laying the rails.
Laying of the Steel Rails
For the most part, rails are made of steel these days, and after or during the laying of the railway sleepers, the steel rails are laid. Railroad spikes are installed at the same time to prevent railway ties from moving.
Laying of the Top Layer of Ballast
More ballast or rock is laid after the rails are installed. These help to keep foliage from growing and helps to hold the sleepers in place as the train moves over the top of the rails. They also help to distribute the weight of the train and provide stability to prevent lateral motion. Rail ballast is a special kind of rock that is designed to not move, which would compromise the integrity of the rails. It is designed to be sharp and edged, not round and smooth, which rain could then move along.
Installing Rail Anchors and Braces
The final step in rail installation is the installation of steel rail anchors and braces, which helps prevent rail crawling. These are giant bolts and nuts that help to keep the rails in place and help with rail safety.
CHOOSE SITECH ROCKY MOUNTAIN TODAY
The installation of railways is a much less labor-intensive project than it used to be; however, there are still a lot of steps that must be taken in order to ensure safety, longevity, and stability, so trains can keep on chugging along!
SITECH Rocky Mountain, based in Aurora, Colorado, but serving all of Colorado, New Mexico, and far west Texas, offers rail solutions that help with railway track construction. We offer help with alignment and refere point for pre-surveying of railway track installation, as well as railway surveying. In addition, we offer a full slew of construction management technology solutions that we invite you to explore. Get in touch with our team today!