Inspection of railroad ballast using geophysical method

Railroad ballast deterioration is responsible for the majority of differential settlement of tracks, resulting in poor track geometry. Traditionally, ballast is replaced only when it has visually deteriorated, resulting in the planning and programming of maintenance and renewals currently being condition driven. However, there is a significant potential cost saving if ballast deterioration can be detected earlier. Among the various geophysical inspection methods, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) seems to be the most advanced non-destructive testing technique in terms of application to railroad ballast assessment. The present paper investigates the applicability of the GPR system in terms of ballast inspection and concludes on the capability of the GPR technique to assess adequately the ballast quality, as well as the trackbed formation.

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