System and method for subgrade stabilization of railroad bed
AssigneeSoil-Nail Holdings, LLC
InventorsTomasz Szynakiewicz, Justin Anderson, Robert W. Hollinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is a system and method for repairing, improving, and stabilizing subgrade and subsoil/natural ground layers of a rail bed generally consisting of softer soils. One embodiment includes a method of installing subsurface inclusions and ballast fills comprising injected slurry mixtures of stabilizing material such as cement grout mixed with in situ soil. Another embodiment includes a system of installed ground inclusions and ballast fills. Another embodiment includes an integrated system of equipment for emplacing the system of inclusions and ballast fills.
Claims12
A system for repairing a rail bed underlying a railroad having rails and cross ties, the system comprising:
- a rail mounted motor vehicle;
- a drill mast assembly mounted on the motor vehicle, the drill mast assembly having a drill mast frame that supports at least one drill mast;
- a drill mounted on said at least one drill mast, said drill having a drill head;
- a hydraulic lift secured to said drill mast assembly to raise and lower said drill mast assembly wherein the hydraulic lift rotates the drill mast assembly between a first horizontal stowed position to a second vertical operating position;
- a power source for powering the drill to selectively penetrate the rail bed;
- a pump;
- a grout source wherein the pump operates to transfer the grout through a transfer line to the drill mast assembly;
- and
- wherein the drill head is lowered to drill holes in the rail bed while the drill mast assembly is in the second vertical operating position and to inject the grout into the rail bed;
- and
- wherein the motor vehicle has wheels enabling the motor vehicle to be driven off and driven onto the rails.
A method for stabilizing subgrade and subsoil ground layers of a railroad bed underlying a railroad having rails and cross ties, the method comprising:
- providing a rail mounted vehicle, a drill mast mounted on the vehicle, the drill mast having a drill mast frame that supports the drill mast, the drill mast frame configured to support a pair of drills and corresponding drill heads;
- determining a location on the railroad where the subgrade or subsoil have failed causing destabilization of the ballast upon which the rails and cross ties lie;
- rotating the drill mast including the drill mast frame and the drill mast from a first stowed position to a second vertical operating position for drilling;
- positioning the drills over the location to a first position;
- drilling first holes by the drills into the subgrade and/or the subsoil;
- and
- withdrawing the drills and injecting a grout mix by the drill heads as the drills are withdrawn to form corresponding first inclusions in the first drilled holes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.