Hot-mix asphalt (bituminous) railway trackbeds: In-track tests, evaluations, and performances - A global perspective: Part II - United States asphalt trackbed applications and practices

The railway industry throughout the world continues to emphasize the importance of developing innovative trackbed design technologies for both heavy tonnage freight lines and high-speed passenger lines. The purposes are to achieve high levels of track geometric standards for safe and efficient train operations while minimizing long-term track maintenance costs and extending track component service lives. During the past several decades designs incorporating a layer of asphalt (or bituminous) paving material, similar to a highway pavement asphalt base layer, as a portion of the railway track support structure have steadily increased until it is becoming a common or standard practice. This, the second part of a three part paper, presents applications and practices of asphalt underlayment in the United States.