Evaluation of Engineering Properties of the Rapati Nadi Aggregates for Railway Ballast in the Central Nepal Sub Himalaya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64862/Keywords:
Railway ballast, Rapati Nadi sediments, Central Nepal Sub-HimalayaAbstract
Nepal has proposed various railway projects, such as the East-West Railway, Kathmandu Metro Railway, and Raxaul-Kathmandu Railway. Good ballasts are always sought in the projects to diminish maintenance cost. Sediments from the Rapati Nadi (River) in central Nepal are among probable sources of ballasts as those sediments are rich in quartzite clasts. To meet the ballast requirements for railway projects, the study assessed the physical, mechanical and durability properties of alluvial deposit aggregates.
The compositional analysis yielded maximum percentage of quartzite followed by sandstone and others. The aggregates yielded uniformity in gradation. Flakiness and Elongation Indices of the tested samples ranged from 11.18 to 24.10% and from 13.07 to 42.77%, respectively. Specific gravity exceeded 2.4. Aggregate Impact Value, Aggregate Crushing Value and Los Angeles Value of the tested samples were respectively 4.4-13.2%, 10.20-17.67% and 15.75-34.25%. Similarly, the point load strength index ranged from 3.69 to 6.57 MPa, and the Sodium Sulphate Soundness Values ranged from 0.96 to 2.06%. All the test results satisfied the conditions based on IS specification in the context of aggregate shape, crushing strength, impact strength, and durability against abrasion. When the results of different indices and values are rated based on their higher, intermediate and lower ranges, all the samples fall in the range of the high rating. Thus, it shows suitability of aggregates of the Rapati Nadi and sediment aggregates deposited between Basantapur and Bastipur seem better compared to other locations.
References
Chrismer M.S. (1985). Considerations of Factors Affecting Ballast Performance. American Railway Engineering Association (AREA. Bulletin 704, AAR Research and Test Department Report No. WP-110, pp. 118-150.
Esveld, C. (2001). Modern Railway Track. Zaltbommel: 2nd edn. MRT Productions, Zaltbommel. 87 p.
Ghimire R.P. (2020). Geological map of Nepal. Scale: 1:350,000. Department of Mines and Geology, Lainchaur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Indraratna, B., Ionescu, D. (1998). Shear behaviour of railway ballast based on large-scale triaxial tests. Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, v. 124, no. 5, pp. 439-439.
Indraratna, B., Ionesccu, D. (2000). State-of-the-art large scale testing of ballast. Proceedings of CORE2000, Railway Technology for the 21st Century, Conference on Railway Engineering, Adelaide, pp. 24.1-24.13.
Indraratna, B., Khabbaz, H., Salim, W., and Christie, D. (2003b). Geotechnical characteristics of railway ballast, and the role of geosynthetics in minimising ballast degradation and track deformation. Proceedings of RAILTECH 2003,
Railway Technology in the New Millennium, Kuala Lumpur, pp. 3.1-3.22.
Indraratna, B., Khabbaz, H., Salim, W., and Christic, D. (2006). Geotechnical Properties of ballast and the role of geosynthetics in railway track stabilisation. Jornal of Ground improvement, v. 10(3), pp. 91-101.
IS 2386-I. (1963). Method of test for aggregate for concrete, part I, Particle Size and Shape. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi. 26p.
IS 2386-III. (1963). Method of test for aggregate for concrete, part III, Specific Gravity, Density, Voide Ratio, Absorption and Bulking. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi. 22p.
IS 2386-IV. (1963). Method of test for aggregate for concrete, part IV, Mechanical Properties.Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi. 37p.
Mishra.D., H. K. (2013). Characterization of railroad ballast behavior under repeated loading, Transportation Research Record. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, , pp. 169-179.
Raymond, G. P. (2006). Research on Railway ballast Specification and Evaluation. Transpotation Research Record. 8p.
Robnett, Q., Thompson, M., Hay, W., Tayabji, S., and Knutson, R. (1975). Technical data bases report. Ballast and Foundation Materials Research. U.S.
Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development., Washington, D.C. 179 p.
Selig, E. T., and Waters, J. M., 1994. Track Geotechnology and Substructure Management. London: Thomas Telford Service Ltd., London UK, 428p.
Tamrakar, N. K., and Y. S., 2002. Physical and eomechanical properties of the siwalik sandstone , Amlekhgang- Suparitar area central Nepal Himalaya. Jour. Nepal Geol. Soc. v. 26, pp. 59-71.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nepal Society of Engineering Geology (NSEG)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
