Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 39
geogrid is available and can be utilized
in the manufacturing of the BaseLok
BallastGuard in the event ballast material
needs to be placed directly on the
BaseLok BallastGuard. Additionally, a
minimum of 6 inches of ballast or subballast
should be placed as fill material
on the BaseLok BallastGuard.
Current state of the Port
of Texas City BaseLok
BallastGuard project
As mentioned at the beginning of this
article, the first installation of BaseLok
BallastGuard occurred at the Port of
Texas City in May 2021 under the direction
of Remy Steffer, director of engineering.
As is typical when a product
is tested, one of the most challenging
locations was chosen. Located along a
seawall, this particular section of rail
needed to be completely reconstructed
every 24 to 36 months.
In the February 2023 issue of
Geosynthetics magazine, this project was
the subject of a feature article discussing
the issues with ballast fouling and how
the Port of Texas City was addressing the
issue. At the time of the writing of that
article, the section had been in place for
18 months and appeared to have no fouling
issues whatsoever.
Given the proximity of the Port of Texas
City project to Industrial Fabrics' Houston
manufacturing facility, monitoring the
performance of the BaseLok BallastGuard
has been convenient. The pictures shown
were taken July 1, 2024-37 months postinstallation.
The BaseLok BallastGuard
section continues to perform as designed,
and no evidence of ballast fouling has been
observed in the past three years.
The Port of Texas City and Texas City
Rail Terminal continue to be pleased
with how well this section has held up,
and they have begun to use the BaseLok
BallastGuard at other locations (R. Steffer,
GeosyntheticsMagazine.com
39
personal communication, July 1, 2024).
Several Class 1 railroads have also begun
to utilize the BaseLok BallastGuard to
mitigate issues with ballast fouling with
test sections currently being evaluated.
Ballast fouling continues to be an issue
for rail yards and main lines throughout
the country. Advancements are being
made in measuring the level of ballast
fouling through innovations with groundpenetrating
radar, which is helping companies
identify problem areas before they
become extreme. The ground-penetrating
radar data is being correlated to a fouling
index to quantify the level of ballast fouling
present. This data allows companies
to prioritize repairs and maximize their
maintenance efforts and dollars. As companies
begin to repair identified areas of
concern, BaseLok BallastGuard is available
to prolong the lives of these repairs, maximizing
construction dollars and allowing
for a safer, more structurally competent
rail system.
References
AREMA. (2024). Manual for Railway Engineering.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2003). Use of Geogrids in
Pavement Construction, ETL1110-1-189. G
FIGURES 5-6 Port of Texas City BallastGuard
installation site, July 2024.
>> For more, search geosynthetics
at GeosyntheticsMagazine.com.
http://www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com
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Geosynthetics October/November 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics October/November 2024
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - Cover1
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - Cover2
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 1
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 2
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 3
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 4
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 5
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 6
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 7
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 8
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 9
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 10
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 11
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 12
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 13
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 14
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 15
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 16
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 17
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 18
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 19
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 20
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 21
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 22
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 23
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 24
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 25
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 26
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 27
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 28
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 29
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 30
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 31
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 32
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 33
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 34
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 35
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 36
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 37
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 38
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 39
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 40
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 41
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 42
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 43
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - 44
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - cover3
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - cover4
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers1
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers2
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers3
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers4
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers5
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers6
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers7
Geosynthetics October/November 2024 - GeoFrontiers8
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