i) Make the formation width, cess level and side drains strictly in accordance with

prescribed profile.
ii) Carry out shallow screening of ballast section (or deep screening where
required).
iii) Ensure no loose or missing fitting.
iv) Increase the depth of the ballast section to 30cm or even up to 35cm.

If even after adoption of above measures, track maintenance problem persists, then
it is a suspect formation and further detailed Geotechnical investigation is to be done
for assessing the problem. Based on investigation results, if the formation is
classified as Bad Formation then remedial measures for rehabilitation/Strengthening
of bad formation should be taken accordingly.
c) Site inspection:
During site inspection of problematic locations, the Pro-forma for reporting details
for unstable formation (Appendix-J) should be filled up. This should preferably be
done before the soil samples and other site details are collected.
The objective of such inspections and investigation is to know the exact cause of the
formation problem.
d) Recommended scheme for soil testing:
The identified and suspected locations shall be subjected to detailed examination as
per symptoms of failures. Recommended scheme of soil exploration and testing is
given in Table-1.1 of chapter-1(Soil Exploration and Survey).
10.5 Methods of Formation Rehabilitation
All formation rehabilitation schemes need to be framed by Railways. Help of an expert
may also be taken if required. It is the responsibility of executive authority to ensure
that formation rehabilitation work is carried out in accordance with rehabilitation
scheme and adequate control is exercised in execution. However, RDSO may also be
approached to provide consultancy on weak formation, if required.
In general, following points may be kept in view while planning for rehabilitation:
a) In developing rehabilitation schemes, stretches having similar soil characteristics
and Embankment performance should also be included simultaneously.
b) Cause(s) of instability of formation should be analysed and accordingly
rehabilitation measures formulated. There may be requirement of re-profiling of
slope along with laying of blanket and other measures.
c) Geosynthetics may also be used along with laying of blanket for formation
rehabilitation as an alternative, in consultation with RDSO as required.
d) Method of laying of blanket should be appropriate depending upon site
conditions/requirements.
Various probable failures and their possible remedies are listed in Table-10.1 above.
Some of the formation rehabilitation measures which can be adopted are as discussed
below:-

92
 a) By providing blanket layer
b) By laying Geogrid and Non-woven Geotextile at the bottom of ballast along with
deep screening by BCM
c) By cess widening
d) Rehabilitation of Unstable slopes
e) Using Formation Rehabilitation Machines.

10.5.1 By Providing Blanket Layer

The weak/unstable formations are mostly those formations where subgrade soil is
expansive clay (e.g. Black Cotton Soil). The most significant property of these soils
is that when mixed with water they swell considerably, losing their shear strength
and on drying they shrink considerably. Because of this swelling and shrinkage, due
to ingress of water in the rainy season, the track parameters get disturbed and
ballast penetrates in the formation.
The problems caused by expansive clays can be addressed to a large extent by
reducing the ingress of water (during rainy season) by provision of blanket layer of
adequate thickness in the top layer of formation. The blanket layer acts as a
separator as well as reinforcement layer reducing the pressure on the formation
below. In case providing blanket layer of large thickness in running traffic conditions
is not possible, its thickness can be reduced with provision of layer(s) of geogrid.
In addition to this by providing a non-woven geotextile as separator/filtration
layer below blanket (Fig-10.1), it prevents the water from top entering into the sub-
grade & also prevents upward migration of fine particles from expansive clays (which
are very fine grained) into the top coarse layer.
Various methods for laying blanket in running traffic conditions are covered in Para
10.6.

Fig-10.1: Use of Geosynthetic (Geogrid) in formation rehabilitation

10.5.2 By laying Geogrid and Non-woven Geotextile at the bottom of ballast along
with deep screening by BCM:
The preferred method for strengthening/rehabilitation of weak/unstable
formations will be provision of a Blanket layer of suitable thickness as detailed above.
But in cases where it is not possible to adopt this method, and only shallow depth of
formation is considered to be affected/weak, another lesser preferred alternative is
laying a separator layer of non-woven geotextile and a reinforcement layer of geogrid
over it, just below the ballast as shown in Fig-10.2. This type of laying can be done
by Ballast Cleaning Machine (BCM) during deep screening of ballast, by adding
suitable attachments with BCM for holding and laying non-woven geotextile & geogrid
rolls. During the subsequent deep screening cycles, care should be taken not to
93
 disturb about 50-100mm thickness of bottom most layer of ballast, which will not
only avoid entanglement of geosynthetics (geogrid and non-woven geotextile) with
BCM but this layer will act as a confining layer also for Geosynthetics (geogrid and
non-woven geotextile) improving their efficiency.
Non-woven Geotextile, will act as a separator layer preventing ballast getting
contaminated with fine grained particles below. The non-woven geotextile also acts a
drainage layer, thus assisting in reduction of entry of water into the subgrade,
thereby preventing alternative swelling and shrinkage of the expansive subgrade soil
due to moisture content variation to some extent. The geogrid layer reduces the
imposed stress on the subgrade. In addition to this, the cess/side slopes are
attended, if needed, to bring them within the standard profile and erosion protection
is done, to prevent entry of water into the subgrade. All these measures combined,
will help to address the problem.
However, before adopting the above method, detailed soil investigation must be
done ascertaining the root cause of the formation problem. If the nature of the
problems suggests that it cannot be solely rectified by adopting this method, then
conventional method of providing blanket layer or other appropriate method as
determined from investigation done shall be adopted.

Fig-10.2: Alternative use of Geosynthetic (Geogrid and Non-woven Geotextile) in

formation rehabilitation by BCM

Fig-10.3(a): Insertion of Material under BCM Fig-10.3(b): Linking of Rolls to BCM

94
10.5.3 By cess widening
Cess widening is one of the methods for improving the strength of Embankment soil
by process of confining as the strength of confined material is higher than unconfined
material. For detailed procedure, Para 9.2 of Chapter 9 shall be referred to.
This method was used for 9 km length from km 113 to 122 in Vikarabad – Wadi
section of South Central Railway, and results were found to be encouraging, as the
number of attentions required to maintain track were reduced substantially and TGI
values also improved in this stretch.
10.5.4 Rehabilitation of Unstable slopes

i) All vegetation shall be uprooted and taken away from the site of work. The loose
materials removed from the slope should be dumped to form the bottom most
layer on the ground in the width to be widened. If required, it shall be
supplemented with local granular soil.

ii) Starting from the toe, benching on the slope at every 30cm height shall be
provided on the slope surface as shown in Fig-10.4 below so as to provide proper
amalgamation between the old and new earthwork.

Fig-10.4: Sketch for Rehabilitation of Unstable slopes

95
 Earthwork shall be carried out in layers, each layer sloping out 1:30 and
compacting it mechanically using vibratory rollers of around 0.9m width (which
are available in the market); 6 to 8 passes of such rollers shall usually suffice to
provide the compaction to the specified level. Compaction on slope shall be
ensured by using slope vibratory roller of 10-20T. Preferably, this should be a
separately payable item.

iii) The width of each layer of earthwork shall be in excess by 300mm of the designed
profile to enable compaction near the edges. The excess width, thereafter, be cut
and dressed, so as to achieve the required embankment profile.

iv) This para covers slope rehabilitation aspects only. Others measures required as
per site condition like, drainage arrangement etc. are to be taken as required.

10.5.5 Formation improvement using Formation Rehabilitation Machines

Nowadays Formation Rehabilitation Machines which are fully mechanised are being
utilised for rehabilitation of formation in different World Railway systems. Formation
Rehabilitation Machines perform all the necessary tasks such as ballast recycling,
levelling, lifting, lining and tamping [Link] one operation without disrupting rail
traffic on the adjacent track. A formation protective layer (FPL) is installed in order
to raise the load-bearing capacity of the subsoil effectively and sustainably.
All these machines are designed for simultaneous introduction of geotextiles and
geogrids.
Important features of Formation Rehabilitation Machines are:
i) Total excavation can be achieved in one or two passes
ii) Old ballast is recycled for use as protective layer material
iii) Automatic control and moisture regulation of the new protective layer material.
iv) High uniform consolidation performance thus achieving very good quality of
protective layer.
v) Output of the machine ranging from 40 to 80 m/h depending on the thickness of
the protective layer.
vi) On a double track line no hindrance to traffic on the adjacent track.
vii) Various thicknesses of protective layers up to 50 cm can be inserted in one pass.
Austrian federal Railways having experience of formation rehabilitation machines
known as AHM-800R and RPM 2002.

In addition to the measures detailed in above Paras, proper cross slope should be
provided and proper turfing or other erosion control measures shall be undertaken
on the side slopes to prevent ingress of moisture in the formation from cess and
side slopes.

10.6 Methods of Laying Blanket Layer

(a) Track dismantling method:

The method consists of dismantling a portion of track under traffic block (4hrs
duration) and removal of ballast and weak formation layer and replacement with
blanket layer and reconnection of track on ballast.

96
 Execution of work:
i) Before traffic block
Decide longitudinal level & select blanketing material (including required
moisture content & density), lay single rails if higher length panels exist,
provide ramps on to the embankment for movement of tippers to carry
blanketing material etc. & remove shoulder ballast.
ii) During traffic block (about 4 hrs. Duration)
a) Lift single rail panels and remove balance ballast with excavators.
b) Excavate formation to required depth with excavator.
c) Roll the formation providing 1 in 30 cross slopes in one direction.
d) Spread blanket material to optimum thickness for full formation
width + 50 cm on cess side(s) to facilitate compaction.
e) Compact blanket material (being granular cohesion less & well
graded) with vibratory roller to achieve min. 70% relative density
(IS code no: 2720 (Pt 14) latest version).
f) Spread ballast & put back track panels (kept on slope of
embankment).
g) Attend track and allow traffic.
iii) After traffic block
Dress side slopes with suitable erosion control measures if required.
a) Progress
Progress of laying of blanket can be in the range of 100-120m per day.
Work can be taken up at more number of sites in shadow block.
b) Quality: There is no constraint in achieving good quality of work.
c) Flexibility in execution
Depth of excavation of formation & lifting of track both can be carried
out to the requirement of site. Similarly, any thickness of blanket also
can be laid. It can be adopted in any type of track structure, electrified
or non-electrified. Only requirement is that the site should be
approachable to bring machineries and space available to keep track
panel, blanket material etc. Method has been successfully implemented
in some Railways like SC Rly.

(b) Using Formation Rehabilitation Machine: Details discussed in Para 10.5.5.

97
BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES:
1. HMSO (1952) – “Soil Mechanics for Road Engineers”
2. Indian Railway Code for the Engineering Department-Revised Edition-1982(Fourth
Reprint-2012)
3. RDSO 1972 – Civil Engineering Report no: C – 127 – Report on a study of the
Characteristics of compacted and uncompacted Expansive Soils”
4. RDSO (1977) – Civil Engineering Report no: 157 “Compaction Characteristics of
Black Cotton Soils.
5. Terzaghi, K and Peck, R.B. (1967) – “Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice” – John
Wiley & Sons.
6. Selig E.T. & John [Link] – “Track Geo-technology and Substructure Management”
7. Civil Engg. Report no. CE- 267, - ‘Role of residual shear strength in railway
formation and its determination’, Dec., 1991
8. A. Gomes Correia, 'Geotechnics for Roads, Rail Tracks and Earth Strctures, 2001, A.
A. Blakema Publishers, Proceedings of European Technical Committee No. 11 of
ISSMGE.
9. R. Kerry Rowe – “Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Engg.”
10. Hilf J.W., ‘A rapid method for construction control for Embankment of cohesive soil,
ASTM special publication No. 232, 1957.
11. AREMA Manual, 2019
12. Australian Railway (ARTC) Code RTS 3430
13. Guidelines of Earthwork in Railway Projects, RDSO, No. GE:G-1, July, 2003
14. Guidelines and Specifications for Design of Formation for Heavy Axle Load, Report
No. RDSO/2009/GE: G-0014, November’2009.
15. Guidelines for Cuttings in Railway Formations, GE:G-2, Aug’ 2005
16. Guidelines on Erosion Control and Drainage of Railway Formation, GE:G-4, Feb 2005
17. Guidelines on Soft Soils- Stage Construction Method, GE:G-5, April 2005
18. Guidelines for Application of Jute Geotextile in Railway Embankments and Hill Slopes
RDSO/2007/GE:G-0008
19. Rationalisation of Formation Layer thickness on Indian Railway Track, Spec. No.
RDSO/2018/GE: IRS-0004(D) Part-IV.
20. BS EN 13250:2016 Geotextiles and geotextile related products – Characteristics
required for use in the construction of Railways.
21. Robert M. Koerner (2016): Designing with Geosynthetics – 6th Edition (Vol. I and
II).
22. Sanjay Kumar Shukla and Jian-Hua Yin: Fundamentals of Geosynthetic Engineering,
published by Taylor & Francis.
23. Buddhima Indraratna, Wadud Salim and cholachat Rujikiamjorn; Advanced Rail
Geotechnology – Ballasted Track, published by CRC press

98
24. IIT/Kanpur Research report no. 1/93, April-1993.
25. RDSO Report no. CT-23, January 2010.
26. State of the Art Report on sub-grade stress and design of track substructure, Civil
Engineering Report No. C – 271.
27. IRC: 37- ‘Guidelines & Design of Flexible Pavement’, Indian Road Congress.
28. IRC: 56- ‘Recommended practices, treatment of Embankment and Roadside slope
for Erosion Control’, Indian Road Congress.
29. ORE Reports D – 71, RP – 12 & D-117, RP - 28.
30. ‘Modern Railway Track’, Esveld, Coenard MRT Productions NL, TU Delft, Second
Edition 2001.
31. ‘Procedure For Railway Track Granular Layer Thickness Determination’, Dingqing Li,
Theodore R. Sussmann Jr., and Ernest T. Selig, Report no. R-898, October, 1996,
Assosiation of American Railroads (AAR), TTC, Pueblo, Colorado, USA.
32. Track Compendium– Formation, Permanent Way, Maintenance, Economics, by Dr.
Bernhard Lichtberger, 2005, Eurail Press, Hamburg, Germany.
33. UIC Code 719R: ‘Earthworks and Track-bed layers for Railway Line’, Third ed.,
2008.
34. Paper on behaviour of geosynthetic encapsulated stone column in International
society for soil mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering by Professor K.
Rajagopal/IIT Madras.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In the preparation of the document, valuable assistance has been rendered by the team of
Geo-technical Engineering Directorate of RDSO, Shri R. K. Premi (SSRE/GE), Shri Vikash
Kumar (SSRE/GE), Shri Anupam Khare (SSRE/GE), Shri Shailendra Saurabh (SSRE/GE),
Shri Bimal Kumar Das (SSRE/GE), Shri Ajay Singh (SSRE/GE), Shri Akash Snehi
(SSE/Design/GE), Shri Satyam Singh (SSE/Design/GE), Shri DP Tripathi (JRE/GE), Shri
Kumar Shubham (JRE/GE) & Shri Sourabh Yadav (JRE/GE). Drawing work has been assisted
by Shri Sushil Kumar (SSE/Design/GE).

99
 APPENDIX – A

Mechanical Production of Blanket Material

Normally, the blanket material shall be produced mechanically by crushing the stones and/or
by mixing, naturally available materials using suitable equipment/plants like crusher or pug
mills. Detail of these two methods is given below:
1.0 Crushing Methodology:
In the event of non-availability of natural source of blanket material, depending on the
proximity of project site from the parent rock/boulder sources, it may be decided to
crush the rock/boulder in order to produce crushed blanket material. Salient features of
this methodology are:
a) Crushed blanket material may be produced as sole product or in conjunction with
ballast or any other nominal size.
b) Trials and permutations of feed speed, crushing cycle, and sieve combinations may
be required to arrive at the required particle size gradation.
c) It is possible to achieve near total produce of desired gradation through production
cycle management. Alternately, it may be possible to get by-products of other sizes
in the desired proportion and blanket material as main produce or vice-versa.
d) Optimisation of production rates and costs can be achieved by controlling the output
at each sieve stage.
e) It is ideal to mix the required quantity of water for OMC (accounting for loss/gain of
moisture due to weather conditions) at the crusher plant and transport the material
in wet condition.

Fig-A1: Schematic Diagram of Manufacture of Blanket Material by Crushers

100
 Fig-A2: General View of Crusher Fig-A3: View of Storage bin

2.0 Blending Methodology :

a) Blanket material could be obtained by proper blending of two or more soils or in
combination with soils and crushed material like stone chips.
b) Before approving such sources, trials for blending to judge the final product, needs to
be done. Detail methodology of blending to be adopted to produce large quantity of
blanket material with consistent quality, needs also to be laid down in advance.
c) Blending of either natural or crushed materials in a pre-decided ratio could be
adopted.
d) Theoretical and laboratory trials are required in order to establish the desirable ratio
of the blending materials. This exercise may be done in advance before finalizing the
contracts for such a material.
e) The methodology of blending trials is explained below :
i) Identify the usable materials/soils.
ii) Take equal weight of the soils for sieve analysis.
iii) Write down the weight retained at each sieving stage for all the soils.
iv) Apportion a percentage component to each soil and work out a theoretical mix.
v) Draw particle size distribution curve of the mix to find out desirability of
gradation.
vi) If not successful, make another trial, and so on.
vii) Trials and plotting work can also be done using simple computer programs.

2.1 Mechanical blenders using simple technology are now available in the market. Two
types of mechanical blenders are quite common:

a) Drum type blenders: Drum type machines may involve weigh batching or
manual feeding of material. They involve more moving parts. Hence, these
machines are both manpower and maintenance intensive. They may pose a
problem of segregation of material and as such do not afford any cost advantage
either in the short or long run. These may be suitable for small quantities and not
for large-scale production as required in construction projects.
b) Pug mill type blenders: For continuous production of mix in large quantities,
the best way is to feed the aggregates/ soils of pre decided gradation by way of 3
or 4 bins with conveyor belt. The required output grading can be achieved by
adjustment of gate openings of bins. The use of pug mill type blenders is found
101
 very cost effective, as the manpower involvement is very little and only 4-5
people can run a plant of 100 tph. The pug mill blender consists of:
i) Four bin aggregate unit
ii) Pug mill mixer unit
iii) Water tank and metering system
iv) Conveyor belts
v) Storage silos (optional)
vi) Anti-segregation surge hopper
vii) Automation and controls
The other important features of this technology are:
i) Automatic feeding of soils/aggregates under gravity,
ii) Arrangement for precise control of mixing of water,
iii) Either direct loading into trucks, or optional storage at plant,
iv) Availability of domestic manufacturers, and low cost of set up,
v) Advantage of removal and relocation with ease.

A schematic diagram showing the various arrangements is shown below:

Fig-A4: Schematic Diagram of Manufacture of Blanket Material by Blending

2.2 The equipment for blending should enable blending of two or more materials
uniformly so that the blended material satisfies the specification. The equipment
chosen should be cost effective and easy to handle with and efficient.
3.0 Specifications of Mechanically Produced Blanket Material: Blanket material
produced in a plant should generally conform to specifications as mentioned in Table 3.3
to table 3.6, Chapter 3 of this Comprehensive Guideline and specification.

4.0 Quality Control on Blanket Material at production site:

It is desirable to have a check on quality of material at source/manufacturing point so
that major deviation in quality of the material being sent to site does not exist. It would
102
 be in the interest of the supplier to have such tests conducted on his own to avoid any
complication at a later stage.
4.1 Method of Test: Blanket material should be tested in pursuance to specifications for
blanket material as laid down in Table 3.3 to 3.6 of this Comprehensive Guideline and
specification.

4.2 Frequency of Tests at Site: As per Table 7.2 of this Comprehensive Guideline and
specification.

Fig-A5: Computer Controlled Bins for Mixing

Fig-A6: Blanket Material Being Loaded into Truck

103
 APPENDIX-B

Illustrative Examples for providing minimum thickness of Formation Layers

1.0 Construction of Formation in Embankment & Cutting:

1.1 For Embankment (where height is less than required total uniform
thickness)

A
1.0 m (Min.) BLANKET
B
C
G.L. PREPARED SUBGRADE G.L.
D
TOP LAYER OF SUBGRADE
E
SUB SOIL

Fig–B 1: Formation Layers in Embankment

a) If sub-soil material CD is of better quality than the specifications of prepared

subgrade and DE part is of better quality than the specifications of top layer of
subgrade, then remaining part of prepared subgrade (BC) and blanket layer
(AB) of specified thickness only is required to be provided above ground level for
embankment construction. No excavation below ground level is required.

b) If minimum required depth of sub-soil CE is of better quality than the

specifications of top layer of subgrade and inferior to that of prepared subgrade,
then upper layer upto CD will be required to be replaced with specified quality of
soil equivalent to prepared subgrade. Above ground level remaining part of
prepared subgrade (BC) and blanket layer (AB) of specified thickness are
required to be provided.

c) If layer CE upto minimum required depth do not meet the specifications of top
layer of subgrade, then upper layers of sub-soil upto “E” level should be
removed and compacted with specified quality of soil i.e. in CD, soil with
specified quality for prepared subgrade and in DE, soil with specified quality
better than that for subgrade/top layer. Above ground level, remaining part of
prepared subgrade (BC) and blanket layer (AB) of specified thickness are
required to be provided.

104
 Few representative sketches showing thickness of formation layers in
embankment depending on site conditions:

CL of Track
V 35cm Ballast Cushion
:1
H
1.5
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 30 cm
BLANKET
V
:1 1 : 30 1 : 30
H
N .2
MI 100 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ3, CBR 6
SUBGRADE OPE
SL
170 cm Lower Layer of Subgrade, CBR 3
G.L.

NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL

Fig-B2: Height of Bank=3.0m, Single layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ3
subgrade (CBR≥6)

CL of Track
V 35cm Ballast Cushion
:1
H
1.5
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 40 cm
BLANKET
: 1V Non-Woven Geotextile
1 : 30 1 : 30
2H
N. 100 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ2, CBR 6
MI
SUBGRADE O PE
SL
160 cm Lower Layer of Subgrade, CBR 3
G.L.

NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL

Fig-B3: Height of Bank=3.0m, Single layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ2
subgrade (CBR≥6)

CL of Track

: 1V 35cm Ballast Cushion

5H
1.
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 55 cm
BLANKET
: 1V Non-Woven Geotextile
1 : 30 1 : 30
2H
N. 100 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1, CBR 4
MI
SUBGRADE O PE
SL
145 cm Lower Layer of Subgrade, CBR 3
G.L.

NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL

Fig-B4: Height of Bank= 3.0m, Single layer system (25t Axle load), with SQ1
Subgrade (CBR≥4)

105
 CL of Track
35cm Ballast Cushion

Blanket Thickness - 55 cm
V 1 : 30 1 : 30
BLANKET :1
2H
N. Non-Woven Geotextile
MI 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE PE
S LO 45 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1 CBR 
G. L.

Subsoil Properties
NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL CBR 4 in atleast top 55 cm
(no exacavation is required)

Fig-B5: Height of Bank 1.0m, Single layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ1
subgrade & Subsoil with CBR≥4 (No excavation below GL)

CL of Track
35cm Ballast Cushion

Blanket Thickness - 55 cm
V 1 : 30 1 : 30
BLANKET :1
. 2H Non-Woven Geotextile
IN
EM 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE O P 45 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1 CBR 
SL
G. L.
To be excavate and filled up with SQ1 Soil of CBR 
Subsoil Properties
NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL in atleast top 55cm
CBR 4

Fig-B6: Height of Bank 1.0m, Single layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ1 subgrade
& Subsoil with CBR<4 (Excavation & replacement of min 55cm with CBR≥4 soil below
GL)

CL of Track
35cm Ballast Cushion

Blanket Thickness - 40 cm
V 1 : 30 1 : 30
BLANKET :1
H
N .2 Non-Woven Geotextile
MI 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE O PE 60 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ2 CBR 
SL
G. L.
To be excavate and filled up with SQ2 Soil of CBR  Subsoil Properties
NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL in atleast top 40cm
CBR 6

Fig-B7: Height of Bank 1.0m, Single layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ2
subgrade & Subsoil with CBR<6 (Excavation & replacement of min 40cm with CBR≥6
soil below GL)

106
 CL of Track
35cm Ballast Cushion
Blanket Thickness - 30 cm
V 1 : 30 1 : 30
BLANKET :1
2H
N.
MI 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE O PE 70 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ3 CBR 
SL
G. L.
To be excavate and filled up with SQ3 Soil of CBR  Subsoil Properties
NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL in atleast top 30cm
CBR 6

Fig-B8: Height of Bank 1.0m, Single layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ3 subgrade
& Subsoil with CBR<6 (Excavation & replacement of min 30cm with CBR≥6 soil below GL)

CL of Track
35cm Ballast Cushion

Blanket Thickness - 40 cm
V 1 : 30 1 : 30
BLANKET :1
H
N .2 Non-Woven Geotextile
MI 1 : 30 1 : 30
PREPARED SUBGRADE
O PE 50 cm of Prepared Subgrade SQ2 CBR 
SL
SUBGRADE 1 : 30 10 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1 CBR  1 : 30 G. L.
To be excavate and filled up with SQ1 Soil of CBR  Subsoil Properties
NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL in atleast top 40cm
CBR 4

Fig-B9: Height of Bank 1.0m, Two layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ2 Prepared
Subgrade, SQ1 Subgrade & Subsoil with CBR<4 (Excavation & replacement of min 40cm
with CBR≥4 soil below GL)

CL of Track
35cm Ballast Cushion

Blanket Thickness - 30 cm
V 1 : 30 1 : 30
BLANKET :1
2H
N.
MI 1 : 30 1 : 30
PREPARED SUBGRADE
O PE 50 cm of Prepared Subgrade SQ3 CBR 
SL
SUBGRADE 1 : 30 20 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1 CBR  1 : 30 G. L.
To be excavate and filled up with SQ1 Soil of CBR  Subsoil Properties
NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL in atleast top 30cm
CBR 4

Fig-B10: Height of Bank 1.0m, Two layer system (25T Axle load), with SQ3 Prepared
Subgrade, SQ1 Subgrade & Subsoil with CBR<4 (Excavation & replacement of min 30cm
with CBR≥4 soil below GL)

107
 CL of Track
V 35cm Ballast Cushion
:1
5H
1.
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 40 cm
BLANKET
PREPARED :1
V Non-Woven Geotextile
H 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE N .2 50 cm Prepared Subgrade of SQ2, CBR 8
E MI
OP
SL 1 : 30 50 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1, CBR 4 1 : 30
SUBGRADE
160 cm Lower Layer of Subgrade, CBR 3
G.L.

NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL

Fig-B11: Height of Bank 3.0m (Two layer system), 25T axle load, with SQ2 Prepared
subgrade and SQ1 Subgrade

CL of Track
V 35cm Ballast Cushion
:1
5H
1.
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 30 cm
BLANKET
V
PREPARED :1 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE . 2H 35 cm Prepared Subgrade SQ3, CBR 8
IN
EM
OP 50 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ2, CBR 5
SL 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE
185 cm Lower Layer of Subgrade, CBR 3
G.L.

NATURAL GROUND/SUBSOIL

Fig-B12: Height of Bank 3.0m (Two layer system), 25T axle load, with SQ3 Prepared
Subgrade & SQ2 Subgrade

1.2 For Cutting

CL of Track
V
:1
FORMATION LAYERS 5H
(AS REQUIRED) 1.

BLANKET

PREPARED SUBGRADE

TOP LAYER OF SUBGRADE

SIDE DRAIN SUBSOIL SIDE DRAIN

PROPOSED EXCAVATION AS PER

REQUIRED RAIL LEVEL

REQUIRED CUTTING LEVEL AS PER

GROUND CONDITIONS

Fig-B13: Formation Layers in Cutting

108
 a) As per bore log details from soil exploration & survey, at least 1.5m depth below the
required cutting level, should be checked for conformity with specifications of
construction material (quality of formation layers-blanket/prepared sub-grade/sub-
grade top layer) as mentioned in Para 3.10.
If soil encountered in this depth is of poorer quality than as specified in Para
3.10 then the excavation for cutting will have to be planned accordingly taking into
consideration the additional provisions for conformity with quality of soil as specified
for formation layers (blanket/prepared sub-grade/sub-grade top layer) in the required
depth, which will then cater to the requirement of heavy axle load. Same has been
illustrated in Fig-B 2 given above.

b) For example, if in the depth of 1.5m below the proposed cutting level (as per required
grade/level), soil encountered meets the specification of subgrade-top layer, then
additional depth of excavation for cutting should take into account the depth of
prepared subgrade & blanket only.

c) Suitable drainage system shall be ensured in cuttings as described in Chapter 6 for

Execution of Earthwork.

Representative sketches showing thickness of formation layers in Cutting

depending on site conditions is given below:

CL of Track

: 1V 35cm Ballast Cushion

5 H
1.
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 55 cm
BLANKET
Non-Woven Geotextile
1 : 30 1 : 30

SUBGRADE 100 cm Top Layer of Subgrade SQ1, CBR 4

Subsoil Properties
CBR <4
PROPOSED EXCAVATION AS PER
REQUIRED RAIL LEVEL

REQUIRED CUTTING LEVEL AS PER

GROUND CONDITIONS

Fig-B14: Cuttings, 25T Axle Load (Single Layer System)

109
 CL of Track
V 35cm Ballast Cushion
:1
5H
1.
1 : 30 1 : 30 Blanket Thickness- 30 cm
BLANKET

PREPARED 1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE 35 cm Prepared subgrade of SQ3, CBR 8
1 : 30 1 : 30
SUBGRADE
50 cm TopLayer of Subgrade SQ2, CBR 5

Subsoil Properties
CBR <5
PROPOSED EXCAVATION AS PER
REQUIRED RAIL LEVEL

REQUIRED CUTTING LEVEL AS PER

GROUND CONDITIONS

Fig-B15: Cuttings, 25T Axle Load (Two Layer System)

Note: 1. Any Ground improvement measures (if required) shall be taken prior to the construction of
embankment/cuttings (for details Refer Chapter 2).
2. All the above figures are just for guidance purpose. All the construction work shall conform
to various relevant provisions described in this Guideline.

110
 APPENDIX-C

Specifications of Geosynthetic Products

1.0 Specification of Non-woven Geotextile to be used as separator/filtration in

Railway Formation Specification No. RDSO/2018/GE: IRS-0004-Part-I (March
2019)

A) Properties of Nonwoven Geotextile :

The Non-woven geotextile to be used as separator/filtration layer (Primary role as
separator and secondary role as filtration), shall have following properties, when tested
as per the latest edition of the test method indicated therein, for Railway application:

Sl. Property Test Method Value

No.
I Polymer and Type
Polypropylene/ Polyethylene/
1 Material/Polymer - Polyamide, Polyester or any
combination thereof
Non-woven
Needle Punched and
2 Type/Structure -
Mechanically or Thermally
bonded type or equivalent
II Mechanical Properties
1 Elongation at Failure (*) >50% in both direction
2 Grab Strength (*):
(i) On top of subgrade or 700 N
prepared subgrade before
laying blanket or anywhere ASTM D4632 -
within the embankment 2015
(ii) Below the ballast and above
the Blanket Layer 1750 N
III Hydraulic Properties
ASTM D4751-
1 Apparent Opening size ≤ 85 micron
2016
Water Flow Rate normal to ASTM D4491-
2 20 lit/m2/Sec
the Plane 2017
IV Survivability Properties

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 Trapezoidal Tear Strength
(*):
(i) On top of subgrade or 250 N
prepared subgrade before ASTM D4533-
1
laying blanket or anywhere 2018
within the embankment
(ii) Below the ballast and above
the Blanket Layer 800 N
2 Puncture Strength–CBR
(*): 1800 N
(i) On top of subgrade or
prepared subgrade before ASTM D6241-
laying blanket or anywhere 2014
within the embankment.
(ii) Below the ballast and above 5800 N
the Blanket Layer
V Durability Properties
Abrasion Strength (%
ASTM D4886 -
1 strength retained in breaking 80%
2018
load) (*)
Resistance to U.V. Light Not less than 70%
Weathering (After unwrapping, the
(% strength retained in ASTM D4355-
2 geotextile should be installed
breaking strength) after 500 2018
and covered within a
hrs. of exposure maximum of 14 days)
EN:12447-2001 50%
Minimum retained Ultimate and (tested as per Clause B.4 of
3
Tensile Strength(*) EN ISO: 13438- EN: 13250-2016, for 100
2004 year service life)

* is Minimum Average Roll Value (MARV), which is derived statistically as average value
minus two standard deviations.

Note:
1. The adherence to above listed specification should be checked by testing the samples at
IIT, NIT, Government labs or any other NABL accredited lab.
2. Manufacturing of non-woven geotextile shall be in accordance with the manufacturer’s
QAP for quality control.
3. The product being supplied by the manufacturer should have been successfully used for
similar application (separator /filtration-Primary role as separator and secondary role as
filtration) at minimum 3 locations, with minimum 3 years’ experience at one of the
locations, with supporting documents as an evidence for satisfactory performance.
4. To ensure proper quality assurance and reproducibility of the product, following
stipulations are as under:
i) The manufacturer of non-woven geotextile should have ISO: 9001/CE Certification for
the product being supplied. The manufacturer of Geo-synthetics should have a well-
112
 documented Quality Assurance Procedure (QAP)/Factory Production Control (FPC)
Manual, covering every specific product produced on specific production site, which
shall be referred/stipulated in the ISO: 9001/CE Certification. The QAP/FPC Manual
shall consist of a permanent internal production control system to ensure that
product being manufactured conforms to the requisite properties and it addresses
following items:
a) Produce design requirement and criteria.
b) Acceptance criteria of raw/incoming material and procedures to ensure that these
are met.
c) Relevant features of the plant and production process; giving frequency of
inspections, checks & tests, together with values/criteria required on equipment
and action(s) to be taken when control values or criteria are not obtained.
d) Tests on finished products – Size of the samples and frequency of sampling with
results obtained.
e) Details of alternative tests and procedures, if any, and their correlation with
reference tests.
f) Calibration of equipment having influence on test results.
g) Records to be maintained for various inspections, checks and tests carried out
during factory production.
h) Assessment of results of various inspections, checks and tests carried out during
factory production; where possible and applicable.
i) System of traceability and control of designs, incoming materials and use of
materials.
j) Corrective action for non-conforming materials and finished products.
k) Training, job description and responsibility of the personnel involved in the
manufacturing process.
ii) Any subsequent changes in raw materials, manufacturing procedures or the control
scheme that affects the properties of a product shall be recorded/revised in the
QAP/FPC Manual and certified by the ISO: 9001/CE Certification.

iii) Surveillance of QAP/FPC Manual shall be undertaken at least once per year. The
surveillance shall include a review of the test plan(s) and production processes for
each product to determine if any changes have been made since the last assessment
or surveillance. The significance of changes shall be assessed.

iv) Records of all in-house test results, as per QAP/FPC Manual, shall be shown to the
purchaser; whenever requested by the purchaser

(B) Packing, Handling, Storage and Laying of Geotextiles

i) A tag or other method of identification shall be attached to each roll of non –woven
geotextile indicating following:

a) Manufacturer or Supplier Name

b) Product or Style Name
c) Roll Number
d) Lot or Batch Number
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ii) Rolls of non –woven geotextiles should not be dragged on the ground and they
must be lifted off the ground before moving them.

iii) Non –woven Geotextiles slowly degrade in the presence of Ultra Violet (UV) rays
which are present in sunlight. Hence, they should be wrapped with a material that
will protect them from damage due to shipment, sunlight (UV exposure) and
contaminates. The protective wrapping, in which the non –woven geotextiles come
wrapped from factory, should be kept on till their storage and installation. After
unwrapping, the geotextile should be installed and covered within a maximum of
14 days.

iv) If stored outside, they should be elevated from the ground surface and adequately
covered to protect them from site construction damage, precipitation, UV radiation
including sun light, chemicals that are strong acids/bases, flames including welding
sparks, temperatures in excess of 710C etc.

v) If the protective wrapping of the non –woven geotextile roll is damaged, the rolls
must be elevated off the ground surface and covered with a tarpaulin or opaque
plastic sheet. If the outer layer of the geotextile itself is damaged, the outermost
wraps of the geotextile must be removed and discarded. This is also required when
the roll is exposed to sunlight for a period beyond that permitted by the project
specifications.

vi) If the non –woven geotextiles is exposed to moisture or water, prior to installation,
it absorbs water up to three times their weight. This can lead to serious handling
problems due to extra weight and installation problem because it is nearly
impossible to unroll wet rolls. In addition, the strength of wet non –woven
geotextile may also diminish to the point that it may not support the required load
during installation/construction.

vii) If the non –woven geotextile becomes wet, it is permissible to remove the
waterproof cover to allow for a few days of exposure to wind in order to dry the
fabric.

viii) In trenches, after placing the backfill material, the non –woven geotextile shall be
folded over the top of the filter material to produce a minimum overlap of 300mm
for trenches greater than 300mm wide. In trenches, less than 300mm wide, the
overlap shall be equal to the width of the trench. The non –woven geotextile shall
then be covered with the subsequent course.

ix) Damages to non –woven geotextile, if any during installation, shall be repaired by
placing a non –woven geotextile patch over the damaged area and extending it 1m
beyond the perimeter of the tear or damage.

x) For laying of Non-woven geotextile:

a) Major protrusions on the surface on which non –woven geotextile is to be laid,

such as rocks & bush stamps, shall be removed and local depressions etc. shall
be filled with approved soil before laying the geotextile. The geotextile shall be
114
 rolled out smoothly. The non –woven geotextile should not be dragged across
the subgrade. The entire roll should be placed and rolled out as smoothly as
possible. Wrinkles and folds in the fabric shall be removed by stretching as
required.
b) Adjacent rolls of non –woven geotextiles shall be overlapped, sewn or joined
as required. Overlaps can be used to provide continuity between adjacent non
–woven geotextile rolls through frictional resistance between the overlaps. The
amount of overlap depends primarily on the soil conditions as given in the
Table below:

Soil CBR Minimum Overlap

Greater than 3 300- 450 mm
1–3 600 – 1000 mm
Less than 1 Sewn

c) For curves, the non –woven geotextile shall be folded or cut and overlapped in
the direction of construction. Folds in the non –woven geotextile shall be
stapled or pinned approximately 0.6m centre-to-centre. Before covering, the
condition of the non –woven geotextile shall be checked for damage (i.e.
holes, nips, tears etc.).
xi) Before laying the first lift of granular subgrade on the non –woven geotextile, a
trial stretch of 100m shall be laid to establish a proper construction methodology
of placing and compacting the sub-grade in a manner that no damages are caused
to the separation layer of non-woven geotextile.
(C) Measurement for Payment of Geotextiles
The geotextiles for separation / filter layer shall be measured in square metres, with
no allowance for overlapping at transverse & longitudinal joints. The contract unit
rate for the accepted quantities of geotextile shall be in full compensation for
furnishing, preparing, hauling and placing geotextiles including all labour, freight,
tools, equipment and incidentals to complete the work as per specifications.
2.0 Specifications for Geogrid to be used as reinforcement/stabilisation for Railway
Formation (Specification No. RDSO/2018/GE: IRS-0004- Part-III) February
2020.

A) Properties of Geogrid
The geogrid used as reinforcement/stabilisation layer shall have following properties,
when tested as per the latest edition of the test method indicated therein, for Railway
application:

Sl. Property Test Value

No. Method
I Material/Polymer
1 Material/Polymer - Polypropylene
II Mechanical Properties

115
 Tensile Strength at 2%
Strain (**)
(i) For use below ISO 10319- 10 KN/m x 10 KN/m*
1.
ballast in existing line 2015
(ii) For use below 9 KN/m x 9 KN/m*
blanket in new line
Strain at Ultimate ISO 10319- 6-15 %
2.
Tensile Strength (**) 2015
Aperture
Stability/Torsional Average Torsional Stiffness
Rigidity Modulus (**) ASTM-
3. (i) For use below D7864 ≥0.33 N-m/deg
ballast in existing line -2015
(ii) For use below
blanket in new line ≥0.40 N-m/deg
Junction Efficiency (**) ASTM- 90%
4. D7737
-2015
III Durability Characteristics
Resistance to
ASTM-
Installation damage(% 90%
1. D5818
tensile strength at 2%
-2018
strain) (**)
Resistance to Chemical
Degradation ASTM D6213
2. 100%
(% Average Ultimate rib -2017
Tensile Strength) (**)
Resistance to U.V. Light
Weathering ASTM-
3. (% strength retained in D4355
95%
breaking strength) after -2018
500 hrs of exposure (**)
EN ISO- 50%
Minimum retained
(tested as per Clause B.4.2
4. Ultimate Tensile 13438
of EN:13250-2016, for 100
Strength (**) -2004
Year Service Life)

*
MD: Machine Direction (Longitudinal to the roll) X CD (90o of Machine Direction):
Transverse Direction (Across the roll width)
**
Values marked are Minimum Average Roll Value (MARV), which is derived
statistically as average value minus two standard deviations.
Note:

1. The adherence to above listed specification should be checked by testing the samples at
IIT, NIT, Government labs or any other NABL accredited lab.

2. Aperture Opening of Geogrid:

a) For use below ballast in existing line, the distance between parallel ribs of the
geogrid should be 60mm ± 5mm.
116