Railway Ballast

[TenthEdition]

Has anyone used a 1:1 slope on railway ballast and sub-ballast? AREMA states "A 2:1 is commonly used" in section 2.1.1.5.2.3 Ballast Side Slope Run (BSS).

 

[BAretired]

45 degrees exceeds the angle of repose for natural gravel or sand.
EDIT: might be okay for crushed rock.

BA

 

[TenthEdition]

Agree the angle is to much for shear. What about 1:1.5?

 

[r13]

FYI.

 

[r13]

I suggest to follow the 2:1, or 1-1/2:1 recommendation, and built a barrier wall if land availability is the issue.

 

[GeoPaveTraffic]

Stick with 2:1 for track support. Ballast will typically stand at 1:1, but will ravel with time and will cause problems.

If this is for a slope of any significant height, then you need a real stability analysis since the foundation soils and the overall embankment soils will have a big impact on what will and what will not work.

Mike Lambert