Trimble — Innovative Rail Infrastructure Solutions
Trimble stands at the forefront of technology innovation, providing advanced solutions tailored to the complex demands of the rail industry. Built to enhance operational efficiency, safety and infrastructure maintenance, Trimble technology offers a comprehensive rail monitoring solution. Specializing in geospatial and construction developments, Trimble’s suite of technology includes geodetic and geotechnical hardware, and software including the Trimble® 4D Control™ (T4D) for Rail (T4D Rail) software, which represents a leap forward in rail asset monitoring and management.
Rail Asset Monitoring and Management
T4D Rail software is a cutting-edge, versatile monitoring system designed specifically for the rail sector. It offers comprehensive tools for creating track as-builts and for establishing continuous, real-time monitoring and analysis of rail infrastructure. By leveraging tiltmeters, total stations and other sensor technologies, T4D Rail enables rail operators to detect minute movements and potential deformations in the rail track infrastructure. This proactive approach to maintenance helps prevent costly downtimes and enhances passenger safety by ensuring the integrity of rail assets.
Railway Infrastructure Safety and Maintenance
Safety and maintenance within the rail industry are paramount. Trimble technologies are instrumental in identifying and addressing infrastructure vulnerabilities before they escalate into critical failures. T4D Rail’s advanced analytics and reporting capabilities allow users to detect issues early, facilitating timely maintenance actions. This not only extends the lifespan of rail assets but also ensures that rail services run smoothly, efficiently, and most importantly, safely.
Case Study: Enhancing Railway Safety and Efficiency With T4D Automation
Two recent notable implementations of T4D Rail were on high-speed rail networks in Europe. Wild Ingenieure is a survey firm that specializes in railway construction and construction projects around the railways in Switzerland. Florian von Matt, the Küssnacht am Rigi-based firm’s rail monitoring expert, finds new monitoring tools, such as the T4D Rail software module, a way to meet growing demands and overcome industry challenges.
“Construction is everywhere and not just railroads, but also roads, bridges and buildings. In each of these conditions, there are concerns about movement.
“One of the challenges has always been the time-consuming process of getting from collected as-built data to the final results. On a big project, this could take several days. T4D Rail greatly improves that process.”
They collect the as-built data with the Trimble Access™ Track Gauge Survey app and from there everything is streamlined through T4D Rail. Previously, they did offset and parameter calculations manually; those are now automated through T4D Rail. T4D produces deliverables such as calculated parameter values as well as rail-specific visualization graphs that are easily digestible.
“Everything is now faster and more streamlined—what used to take days, now takes hours. It’s also helpful that T4D Rail adheres to the strict Swiss Federal Railways standards.”
Read more about the implementation here.
A second use of T4D was with GEOGRID AG, which has long specialized in rail monitoring in Switzerland. What used to be manually calculated is now largely automated, thanks to T4D.
“For instance, we would manually calculate the prism offsets from the rail and put all that data in a spreadsheet. When the area to be monitored is greater than say 200-300 meters, that takes a lot of time. I would often spend up to a full day defining a long rail segment. The risk of error is high.
“That entire workflow is streamlined and automated with T4D Rail. I import a track file from the Trimble Access™ Track Gauge Survey app to T4D Rail and the track is automatically created. The whole track is defined in a few minutes, and we can start monitoring.”
Read more about how GEOGRID AG is using T4D.
With both Wild Ingenieure and GEOGRID AG, continuous data collected by T4D Rail enabled rail operators to identify and rectify potential track displacements and anomalies, significantly reducing the risk of derailments and service interruptions. As a result, the high-speed rail networks saw an improvement in operational safety and efficiency, showcasing the tangible benefits of Trimble’s innovative solutions to the rail industry.
Typical Applications:
- Track surveying
- Embankment and slope monitoring
- Railway bridge structural monitoring
- Track construction
- Track geometry monitoring
- Tunnel convergence and settlement monitoring