RAILWORKS FAMILY OF COMPANIES:
Project Highlights
- Rehabilitated 5,500 feet of embedded track on the Baltimore & Potomac (B&P) Tunnel on the vital Northeast Corridor (NEC)
- Procured and utilized the Blend 70 concrete mixer, the first of its kind in North America
Location
Baltimore, Md.
Category
Provided By
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is a vital rail route on the East Coast connecting major cities including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. The NEC has been operational since 1873, and the Baltimore & Potomac (B&P) Tunnel is critical to the NEC’s infrastructure.
From July 2020 to Nov. 2020, RailWorks Track Services rehabilitated tracks 2 and 3 within the 1.4-mile tunnel, working to improve operations and efficiency. During weekend and single-track outages, RailWorks:
- Demolished 5,500 feet of existing track 2-4” below tie;
- Removed debris with specialty-designed conveyer hopper in dump trucks;
- Replaced existing track with track panels;
- Leveled with gauge support fixtures;
- Examined surface with LiDAR Survey;
- Disposed of containment soils;
- Rehabilitated 5,500 feet of embedded track.
Unique Features
To complete work within the 55-hour work windows, RailWorks procured a specialty concrete mixer, the Blend 70. The first of its kind in North America, the Blend 70 can produce concrete of up to one cubic meter per minute, eliminating wasted time transporting pre-mixed concrete. Using the Blend 70 allowed the rapid set concrete to achieve strength within 4-8 hours, compared to the usual 24-48 hours.