Types of Reinforced Concrete Railway Infrastructures and Essentials of their Computations

Reinforced concrete railway superstructure type (non-ballasted) is becoming more widespread and important in the world, similarly in Turkey. This type can be used both in all of the light rail systems of urban transport and also the high speed rail systems of intercity transport. Although its construction cost is higher, the maintenance cost for this type of infrastructure designed without ballast is lower when compared to the one with ballast. The railway infrastructure without ballast enables smaller cross-sections of bridges and viaducts and tunnels. As this type of railways can carry heavier vehicles with higher speed they are preferred to the ones constructed with ballast. In this report, types of reinforced concrete railway superstructure designed without ballast are explained in some depth. Soil bearing strength and designing relations of each considered typs are analysed.