Improved and sustainable design of railway embankments in canadian cold climate

加拿大有超过49000公里的铁路轨道，加拿大国家铁路公司每年投资数百万美元来维护和扩建全国的铁路。因此，了解和解决与季节性寒冷气候下铁路轨道性能相关的问题是至关重要的。麦吉尔大学和泰坦环境控制有限公司之间的合作旨在将大学的研究专业知识和测试设施与泰坦的工业经验和该领域的知识结合起来，研究季节性寒冷地区土工合成增强有碴铁路路基结构的行为。在给定有碴铁路路堤的关键路段加入土工合成钢筋可以最大限度地减少差动的不利影响，降低维护成本，并提高铁路支撑系统的长期性能。也就是说，在加拿大寒冷气候的背景下，选择合适的加固类型和确定最佳配置需要进一步的研究。本研究包括实验和数值研究，以：(i)了解在不同温度下堤防施工中使用的两个特定泰坦网格的响应；（ii）评估典型加筋铁路路堤对软弱路基的反应；（iii）利用数值分析找出有助达致最佳航迹性能的参数。最终目标是为工程师提供关键铁路路堤的替代设计方案。预计这项研究的结果将有助于工程师设计更可持续的铁路路堤。这项研究对加拿大很重要，因为拟议的施工方法可以显著提高这些铁路结构的使用寿命。

Canada has more than 49,000 km of railway tracks and millions of dollars are invested annually by the Canadian National Railway Company to maintain and expand the tracks across the country. Understanding and addressing the issues related to the performance of railway tracks in seasonally cold climates is, therefore, essential.This partnership between McGill and Titan Environmental Containment Ltd. aims to combine the university's research expertise and testing facilities with Titan's industrial experience and knowledge of the field to investigate the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced ballasted railway substructures in seasonally cold regions. The incorporation of geosynthetic-reinforcement in critical sections along a given ballasted railway embankment can minimize the adverse effects of differential movement, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the long-term performance of the railway supporting system. That said, choosing a suitable reinforcement type and deciding on the optimum configuration in the context of the Canadian cold climate need further investigation.This study involves both experimental and numerical investigations to: (i) understand the response of two specific Titan grids used in embankment construction under varying temperature; (ii) assess the response typical reinforced railway embankment over weak subgrade; (iii) identify the parameters that are conducive to optimal track performance using numerical analysis. The ultimate goal is to provide engineers with alternative design options for critical railway embankments.It is expected that the results of this study will help engineers in designing more sustainable railway embankments. This study is of importance to Canada as the proposed construction approach could significantly enhance the service life of these railway structures.