Subgrade Integrity
The subgrade beneath your railway tracks is critical for maintaining track stability and ensuring long-term safety. Poor soil conditions, moisture infiltration, or settlement can weaken this foundation, leading to track misalignment, subsidence, increased risk of washouts, or even derailment. Our advanced technology helps rail operators monitor subgrade integrity, reducing risk and preventing costly track issues.
The Challenge
- SubgradeiInstability – A weakened or compromised subgrade can lead to track misalignment, settlement, and structural failures.
- Track geometry issues – Subgrade problems such as poor drainage or settlement often result in deviations in track geometry, requiring ongoing reactive maintenance.
- Unexpected maintenance – Without continuous monitoring, underlying subgrade issues may go unnoticed, leading to costly and unplanned maintenance interventions.
- Derailment risk – If subgrade degradation is left unchecked, it can dramatically increase the risk of serious incidents, including derailments.
Our Solutions
- Early detection of subgrade instability – Ground penetrating radar (GPR) identifies early warning signs such as moisture build-up, erosion, and frost heave—critical indicators of potential instability.
- Comprehensive monitoring – Continuous, non-invasive assessments of subgrade conditions help flag risk areas before problems escalate.
- Accurate risk assessment – Using integrated mobile mapping GPR, vertical deflection systems, and trackside surface wave measurements, we precisely assess subgrade stiffness to support informed decisions.
- Predictive maintenance – Ongoing monitoring enables a shift from reactive to predictive maintenance, enhancing planning and reducing long-term costs.
Our Technology
We use cutting-edge technologies to assess the condition of subgrade layers. Our system combines:
- Ground penetrating radar (GPR) – GPR scans the trackbed to detect moisture, poor drainage, subgrade erosion, and settlement, all at high speeds.
- Dynamic deflection measurements – Continuous monitoring of vertical deflection using rail-mounted sensors helps identify areas of weakness.
- Surface wave seismics – This technology utilises trackside installations to model subgrade stiffness over large distances, providing detailed insights into the structural integrity of the tracked.
- Data-driven insights – We combine all this data into comprehensive reports, allowing us to take proactive action before problems become severe.
KEY BENEFITS
Optimising Subgrade Integrity for Long-Term Track Safety
Comprehensive Coverage
We monitor subgrade conditions over large distances, providing detailed insights without the need for invasive testing.
Predictive Maintenance
Tracking changes over time allows us to predict subgrade issues, reducing unexpected failures and maintenance costs.
Improved Safety
Early detection of subgrade issues significantly reduces the risk of derailments and track geometry problems.
Zetica House, Southfield Road
Eynsham, Oxfordshire, OX29 4JB
© Zetica Rail 2025.