The inaugural Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program was designed to eliminate or improve roadway and railroad at-grade crossings, with the goal of making roads/rails safer while improving commute times for citizens.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation website, “this program provides funding for highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.”

The grant program helps fund projects that involve:

• repairing grade separations,
• relocating tracks,
• upgrading or improving protective devices, signals, or signs,
• maintaining at-grade crossings, and more.

With safety as the top priority for the DOT, repairing and maintaining high-impact areas is critical so the potential for collisions or blockages can be prevented.

Applications for funding are due no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, September 23, 2024. Visit USDOT website for more information and to apply for funding >>

The GEOWEB® System stabilizes high-impact and crossing areas safely and quickly, limiting track downtime.

Areas subjected to heavy stresses at bridge approaches, diamonds, turn-outs, and crossings create the highest maintenance and safety liabilities for operations. The GEOWEB Soil Stabilization System (Geocells) is effective in reducing maintenance in these high impact areas.

The GEOWEB 3D Soil Confinement System has been successfully used by the railroad industry for over 40 years, helping to solve challenging soil stabilization problems for both new construction as well as railroad repair work. It is a proven and versatile ground improvement solution that is beneficial in soft soil environments and high-impact areas subjected to heavy stresses such as bridge approaches and crossings.

In at-grade crossing applications, the GEOWEB system is a three-dimensional geosynthetic that allows for the effective transfer of lateral earth pressures developed beneath applied loads to an interconnected network of honeycomb-like cells. As a result, stresses are reduced and distributed over a wider area through a phenomenon known as the mattress effect. The mattress effect reduces stress reaching the sub grade, and therefore, can mitigate the negative effects deflection and settlement.

For crossing applications, some of the key benefits of the GEOWEB System are identified below.

• The 3D soil confinement technology creates a high-stiffness foundation under the track that reduces vertical stresses, allowing for a reduction of the subballast section up to 50%.
• The GEOWEB System’s confinement reduces ballast compression and displacement leading to a more stable track surface requiring less maintenance.
• The GEOWEB System limits upward movement of ballast particles and significantly increases stability of the track.
• The system is quick to deploy and install, limiting track downtime.

Moreover, as summarized in Table 1, the GEOWEB Soil Confinement System can be used to improve high-impact areas that may be susceptible to settlement and long-term stability issues.

Table 1: GEOWEB Geocell Advantages for High-Impact Areas

The result is a more durable subgrade that increases railway life by preventing long-term settlement and consolidation. The ability to quickly install the GEOWEB panels and limit the track downtime is a critical factor in maintenance and safety operations for the rail industry.

Presto Geosystems offers a free project evaluation service to evaluate the unique needs of each project. Our recommendations will deliver a structurally sound, cost-effective solution based on four decades of accredited research and testing data. Submit your RCE project evaluation today and take advantage of the Grant Funding Program.

If you have questions about the RCE grant program, our project evaluation services, or need on-site support, please contact:

Bryan Wedin, P.E.
Chief Engineer
Presto Geosystem
[email protected]
(920) 791-0291