Research directions for maintenance criteria in Slab Track

콘크리트궤도 유지보수기준 정립을 위한 연구방향

The Ballast Track has been widely applied in traditionally due to low initial cost and abundant elastic property. But the disadvantages of Ballast track are; labor-intensive and costly maintenance, weak in high-speed and heavy axial load, in additionally need wide cross section of tunnel and massive substructure in viaduct. Therefore, recent applications tend to more and more towards slab track such as Gyeungbu high speed rail and existing line. The slab track increased the stability, resistance and durability of track, and save maintenance cost compare to the Ballast Track. But the slab track have weakness of track elongation by sub-ballast differential settlement and that threat safety of train operation. Therefor the slab track need to prevent cracks in concrete ballast for insure the durability of slab track. In this paper, review main items and its expected effects of the slab track maintenance standards that control sub-ballast settlement and concrete ballast cracks.