Innovation and future new trends in rail track technology.

1. Achieving
Cost and Time Reduction by 50%
in rail track projects
Name : N. Narendra Vasudeva
Student ID No: @00321140
Business case report for Crossrail Project

2. 2
Sections1
•Strategic Targets
•Project Details
2
•Repetitive production tasks
•Off-site construction
3
•How construction programmes can be accelerated
•Planning tools/techniques adopted in the case study
4
•Key challenges
•Lessons learned from Lean deployments
5
•Key issues - In the project hand-over
•Smooth flow of data and asset life-cycle
6
•Good or Bad project management practices
•Technological, areas in light of recent developments

3. 3
Reduction in cost of projects by 50%
Reduction in project delivery time by 50%
1 Strategic Targets

4. 4
(Office of Rail and Road, 2014).
(HM Treasury and Cabinet Office, 2016)
The rail track installation works in the
Crossrail project.
The 1000 tonne pavement process
improvement project
Highways England's project in Area 9,
near Worcester,
1 Two Case Studies

5. 5(Office of Rail and Road, 2014).
(HM Treasury and Cabinet Office, 2016)
Rail passenger journey had increased by
50% during the past decade.
In the year 2014 over 1.6 billion passengers
had used the rail networks,
By the year 2019 the forecasted demand for
the passenger transport and the freight will
increase by 14% and 19% respectively.
The Crossrail project budget GBP 14.8 billion.
1 Need for the project Crossrail Project
Project Cost

6. Project Location
6
Adopted Source: (Crossrail, 2016)
Figure 1 Proposed Crossrail Project
River Thames
1

7. Repetitive production tasks
7
According Yang, (2001) When similar activities are found in the projects
the application of repetitive production tasks is possible.
Source: (Crossrail, 2016)
(Office of Rail and Road, 2014).
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)
Rail Track installation
2

8. Repetitive production tasks
8
Multipurpose gantry crane transports the rail tracks
for installation onto position
Pre-fabricated rail tracks
Rail tracks ready for concrete
The traditional methods of rail track installation
2

9. off-site rail ties manufacturing advantages
9
The precast pre-assembled railroad sections allows for the speedy
construction works. Units are identical and pre assembled.
2
According to Borchardt, (2010),
“…production, placement and lifespan of concrete ties
produce as little as one-sixth of the greenhouse gas
emissions as that is associated with timber ties” .
The use of precast concrete ties manufactured offsite is green and advantages
in construction projects.

10. off-site rail ties manufacturing advantages
10
• The standardised design of modules will cost less than the traditional
method of construction.
Cost
• Modules are manufactured off-site thus monitoring of quality becomes easy.
Quality
• Project delivery can be faster than the traditional construction.Fast
• with less to coordinate and standardised cost and time frame, the modules
are produced with ease and less stress.
Easy
• Fewer workers on site and short lead time mean reduced risk and accidents
Safety
• No weather delays.Weather
2

11. Accelerated construction programmes 1000 tonne project
11
According to New Engineering Contract three (NEC 3) the term acceleration
means “…a formal shortening of the time”
Source : (Moore, 2015).
(Eggleston, 2009).
3
Productivity
•Productivity - From the initial state of 240 tonnes of road surfacing per shift, to 1024 tonne target was
achieved in one of the shifts (327%)
Time
•Reduced to 54 night from 72 nights of road closer (33.33%)
Resources
•A 94% improvement in utilization of paving resource
Cost saving
• £637,737
Key benefits in 1000 tonne project

12. 12
Planning tools/techniques
1.) Deming's cycle - Plan (P), Do (D), Check (C), & Act (A)
PDCA tool.
2.) Last Planner (LP) or the Collaborative System (CS).
Source : (Moore, 2015).
3
Implemented In the 1000 tonne project.

13. Planning tools/techniques
13
The six sigma is:
"emphasises an intelligent blending of the wisdom of the organisation with
proven statistical tools to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the
organisation in meeting customer needs“.
3
(Breyfogle, et al., 2001).
• improvement stage and meeting key stakeholders.D – Define
• Data collection process.M – Measure
• Data analysis phase on the historical and current status.A – Analyse
• review the key finding with the stakeholders to identify the constraints
and implement the new action plan.
I – Improve
• the development of the processes are recorded to create standards for
adoptions in the future schemes.
C – Control
• transfer the lessons learnt across the industry for the adaptation.T - Transfer

14. Key challenges
14
Key challenges in the Crossrail Project
Ground conditions below the city of London was different form location to location. The TBM, used in
the project were designed based on the different soil conditions.
According to Bill Tucker (2014), the biggest engineering challenge on the Crossrail project was the
management of interfaces.
Following were few other challenges noted in the Crossrail project;
 The TBM machines were driven below the sensitive structures and buildings with archaeological
importance, special attention was taken to monitor the movement of these buildings and to address
if any settlement occur.
 Regional dewatering had to be carried out to enable the construction works in some deep shafts and
tunnels, where high water pressure was observed along the River Thames.
4

15. Technical Assurance Plan (TAP) to overcome Challenges
15
To overcome the above challenges, Technical Assurance Plan (TAP) was
adopted in the project.
There was the requirement to manage design information’s from
approximately 30 design consultants and the designs from contractors.
(The Engineer, 2014).
4

16. Lessons learned from past Lean deployments
16
In the future developments projects of this nature the lessons learnt will
create better understanding and the linkages between entities.
According to the Crossrail technical director Chris Sexton (2014), there were
three areas that needed to be focused.
1. Firstly the design accountability, here the mature BIM design was fully
developed and positive results were witnessed;
2. secondly the management of interfaces; and
3. finally the sponsor engagement (The Engineer, 2014).
4

17. Key issues - In the Project hand-over
17
Project handover / Employer Taking Over as per FIDIC
According to FIDIC, “Clause 10 Employers Taking Over” happens when the
necessary tests the carried out works as described in the Contract are
successful. Therefore only the projects based on the positive tests results
shall be taken or handed over to the Employer.
There are instances where the employer may take over Parts of Works at
the sole discretion of the Employer, for any part or permanent works
according to the Sub clause 10.2. If this happens the Contractor passes on
the liability to the Employer for the part that is taken over by the Employer.
5

18. Smooth flow of data and asset life-cycle
18
According to MacLeany, (2014), the data in the project is the key for the
successful project operation phase.
Project Handover
• Building Information Model (BIM) and
the Building Assembly Model (BAM)
have a general proportion of 1$ : 20$.
• Building Operation Optimisation Model
costs (BOOM) around 60$.
• Therefore, in the majority of the cost in
the project lifecycle the big payoff is
derived is in the operation phase.
Source: (MacLeany, 2014).
5

19. Good or Bad project management practices
19
Good PM Bad PM
Outcome focused Process focused
Guarantees objectives Guarantees documentation compliance
Recruit and motivate people Follows procedures
Builds strategies and plans Implements and hold on to the old standards
Controls project execution Controls the process
Detects and resolve issues Detects and resolve process issues
Ensures quality Ensures quality in process
Mitigate risk Procrastinates
Koskeler and Howell identified three key elements in good project
management.
Firstly the goals or the long term philosophy.
Secondly the internal goals or the target for continued improvement.
Thirdly the external goals, related to the needs of the clients.
6

20. Technological, areas in light of recent developments
20
The main obstacle in the trains is the
friction between the rail tracks and the
wheels.
1. Trains that float Maglevs,
There are technologies such as magnetic levitation using super magnets, this is
emission free, green and fast.
The trains that are using this technology has achieved record breaking speeds of over
300 miles per hour.
Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)
6
Trains that float, Fly and Slide

21. Technological, areas in light of recent developments
21
Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)
Trains that travel on air track
The invention of the aero trains, by Yasuaki
Kohama, is partly train and partly an
aircraft, that travels on a cushion of air.
This train flies due to the “wing in ground
effect”. According to Kohama, the train will
use only 25% electricity than the Maglev
trains as such is highly efficient and green.
It is reported that this train will travel 270
m/h and can carry 350 passengers.
6

22. Technological, areas in light of recent developments
22
Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)
3. Tubular Rails (TR)
The tubular trains travel without the tracks on
elevated rings.
This train can reach speeds up to 150mph. The
concept of tubular rail was invented by Robert
Pulliam, according to him this system utilises
prefabricated parts and eliminates the cost in the
construction of rail tracks and thus it is predicted
that it will bring huge savings in the maintenance
cost, and will increase safety.
During construction there are minimum
disruption to the existing infrastructure and to the
environment
6

23. Technological, areas in light of recent developments
23
Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)
Moving forward how can we reduce 50% cost and time in the rail track construction,
it is by application of Lean principles. In addition seeking the possibility in eliminating
the track.
It is believed that the future studies in tubular technology is necessary to merge with
the rail track systems in the tunnels. This might bring to light the target benefits on cost
and time in the future rail construction projects.
6

24. 24