Introduction

As part of a new maintenance strategy, an active approach has been taken to improve several Danish railway embankments. The goal is to improve the Danish rail infrastructure. A few embankments have begun to show small signs of instability. In order to stay in control of the situation, a decision has been made to renovate them. Embankment instability is not to be trifled with.

On Sealand, near a busy train station, one embankment had an increased risk of becoming unstable. Because of this it had been monitored regularly. It was discovered that the speed it was sinking had increased and the embankment quickly became high priority. The more it sank, the more likely it was to collapse in the future.

In order to ensure staff and passenger safety as well as trains on time, it was decided to renovate the embankment. Aarsleff Rail A/S, a Danish rail contractor, was hired for the job. They removed 4 meters worth of the old embankment and replaced it with more stable soil and a new track ballast.

Solution

A renovation of this size is expected to cause small settlements in the embankment. Aarsleff Rail wanted to ensure that the settlements did not exceed what was expected. Therefore, they sought a solution that could assist them in monitoring the tracks and embankments 24/7.

To ensure monitoring of even the slightest movements, Railmonitor’s solution, TrackBed³⁶⁰, has been installed onto the affected stretch. Tilt sensors have been installed to measure transverse (cant & twist) and longitudinal (slope & bend) aspects on the track bed.

Every track movement is monitored. This enables Aarsleff Rail to gain insight into how even the smallest measurements are related to one another.

This constant and continuous measuring provides Aarsleff Rail with a solid data foundation. The sensor data is automatically processed Railmonitor’s Digital Service Platform and can be easily accessed. Correspondingly, they are given a unique insight into any behavior of the tracks, both regular and irregular. If any limit values are exceeded, the system will also send out warnings to relevant stakeholders at Banedanmark.

“It was remarkable to see that after a heavy rain, one of the tracks slightly starts to settle. Using Railmonitor’s solution, it was easy to plan when to adjust the track without compromising safety”

Martin Dhin, Land Surveyor, Aarsleff Rail

Value and Benefit

The Railmonitor solution, TrackBed³⁶⁰, ensures that Aarsleff Rail always know the current state of the railway stretch and can make sure it stays stable and secure. It provides them with a unique gateway to valuable data which can assist Aarsleff Rail in making critical decisions regarding project management.

Most importantly, it will assist them in fulfilling a number one priority in Danish rail infrastructure: ensuring a safe – and timely – journey for staff and passengers.