CLASSIFICATION OF RAILWAY SUPERSTRUCTURE RECONSTRUCTION METHODS

Abstract

The concept of railway reconstruction represents a form of corrective maintenance when regular continuous maintenance cannot restore the railway to a functional condition. Renovation is most often focused on the elements of superstructure such as ballast, sleepers, fastening system and rails. In the circumstance that the substructure additionally has to be repaired, all related operations are transformed into preparatory operations and take precedence over all procedures involving the restoration of the superstructure. The chosen method of construction has a direct impact on the quality of construction and the efficiency of operations. The required quality is directly related to the category of railway being built, with higher requirements as the railway ranks higher and has higher projected speed. Aside from the required quality and efficiency of construction, the chosen method is also influenced by the available space for maneuvering the machinery. The paper provides a basic classification of methods for restoring railway superstructures, with specific references to the positive and negative aspects of each method.