Tensar® Geogrids: Vital to Cost-Effective Rail Track Stabilization and Resilience
While the ever-growing need for reliable transportation of goods is good news to rail owners, they also face the ever-rising costs of maintaining existing and building new track. Tensar geogrids are a proven solution to these challenges, offering lower up-front construction costs, less frequent maintenance, and other benefits.
Ballast and Sub-Ballast Stabilization. Which is Right for Your Project?
Tensar® Geogrids stabilize trackbed structures in two ways:
- Installing geogrid at the bottom of the sub-ballast means the sub-ballast layer can be thinner, because imposed loads are more efficiently distributed over the underlying subgrade.
- With ballast stabilization, installing geogrid between the ballast and sub-ballast layers limits lateral spread, minimizing track settlement.
Tougher Trackbeds
While infrequent, large-scale events can cause massive destruction of trackbeds, and long-term operational disruption. In addition to providing superior stabilization and cost savings, geogrids are key to rail resilience—minimizing infrastructure damage and service interruption, and improving overall response and recovery time.
Tensar® Geogrid Applications
Track Maintenance
Track maintenance is expensive and never ends. Here’s what Tensar® geogrids can do to extend time between maintenance periods by a factor of three to five times over the lifecycle of the track:
- Preserve the integrity of the track by confining ballast and sub-ballast layers, and preventing lateral spread.
- Reduce trackbed deflection during loading, prolonging the life of mechanical track components like rails, ties, and insulated joints.
New Construction
Tensar® geogrids can save up to $30,000 per linear mile of track by greatly reducing the required trackbed thickness, while still meeting safety requirements. Here are some other ways Tensar® geogrid helps cut costs:
- Because it’s easy to install—even in wet/inclement weather—and doesn’t require specialized labor or equipment, Tensar® geogrid helps maximize productivity, and shorten construction schedules.
- Tensar® geogrids can be installed directly over existing weak subgrade soils, eliminating the need—and cost—for subgrade excavation, disposal, and replacement or chemical treatment (and the curing time for chemical treatment).
- Shallower excavation often eliminates the need to (and cost of) relocating utilities.
Get to Know Tensar®
Tensar® is a leading global developer and manufacturer of proprietary soil reinforcement and ground stabilization solutions for the construction, infrastructure and transportation industries—specializing in geogrids, foundation systems, and erosion control solutions. Tensar® geogrid technology has been the subject of extensive independent research and development and is approved by AREMA, Network Rail in the UK, and National Rail Authorities worldwide.
Key Tensar Products
- InterAx® Geogrid
Our highest-performing geogrid, combining coextrusion, advanced material science, and optimized geometry. - H-Series® Geogrid
The benefit of optimized geometry at a more economical cost. - TrackTex™ Anti-Mud Pumping Solution
Cost-effectively addresses mud-pumping problems in a variety of rail track environments. - Geopier® GeoSpike®
The GeoSpike system is Geopier’s solution to shallow to medium depth soft subgrade conditions for railroads.
