{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T20:50:21Z","timestamp":1777927821259,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,8,28]],"date-time":"2013-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1377648000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>The initial geometry of a railway track continually degrades over its life-cycle. Changes in the track alignment give rise to variations in the dynamic axle load which accelerate track degradation, with consequences for maintenance and availability of the line. This behaviour is particularly evident at some critical locations that are associated with abrupt changes in the track\u2019s vertical stiffness, such as transitions to bridges or other structures. In order to mitigate this problem, careful design and construction is required, for which several recommendations have been suggested in the literature. However, studies based on the maintenance records of existing high-speed lines have shown that the problem of track degradation associated with stiffness variations is far from being solved. This paper presents a short review on the design of transition zones. A case study on the design and construction of a transition zone on a new Portuguese railway line is analysed. Results of conventional laboratory and cyclic load triaxial testing on granular materials and in situ mechanical characterization of the layers are presented. Relevant aspects regarding the construction are addressed and discussed. The results obtained at the substructure level seem to indicate that the design of the transition zone was successful in minimizing settlement and achieving a gradual stiffness increase as a bridge is approached.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/0954409713499016","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,8,28]],"date-time":"2013-08-28T21:25:55Z","timestamp":1377725155000},"page":"58-70","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":79,"title":["Design and construction of backfills for railway track transition zones"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"229","author":[{"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Paix\u00e3o","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Eduardo","family":"Fortunato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Rui","family":"Cal\u00e7ada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1680\/tgasm.20139"},{"key":"bibr2-0954409713499016","volume-title":"Best practice guide for optimum track geometry durability","author":"Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer","year":"2008"},{"key":"bibr3-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1243\/0954409011531585"},{"key":"bibr4-0954409713499016","unstructured":"European Rail Research Institute.\n                      Stresses in the rails, the ballast and in the formation resulting from traffic loads\u2009-\u2009deformation properties of ballast\n                      (\n                      laboratory and track tests\n                      ). Report D 71\/R10, 1970. Utrecht, The Netherlands: European Rail Research Institute."},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr5-0954409713499016","first-page":"1","volume":"8","author":"Dahlberg T","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int J Civ Engng"},{"key":"bibr6-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Berggren E.\n                      Railway track stiffness\u2009-\u2009dynamic measurements and evaluation for efficient maintenance.\n                      PhD Thesis, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden, 2009."},{"key":"bibr7-0954409713499016","unstructured":"L\u00f3pez Pita A, Teixeira PF, Casas-Esplugas C and Ubalde L. Deterioration in geometric track quality on high speed lines: the experience of the Madrid-Seville high speed line (1992-2002). In:\n                      The 85th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board,\n                      Washington, DC, 22\u201326 January 2006, pp. 1\u201314. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board."},{"key":"bibr8-0954409713499016","unstructured":"European Rail Research Institute.\n                      Bridge ends\u2009-\u2009embankment structure transition, state of art report\n                      . Report D 230.1\/RP 3,1999. Utrecht, The Netherlands: European Rail Research Institute."},{"issue":"10","key":"bibr9-0954409713499016","first-page":"51","volume":"26","author":"Eisenman J","year":"1977","journal-title":"ETR-Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau"},{"key":"bibr10-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2219\/rtriqr.48.176"},{"issue":"3","key":"bibr11-0954409713499016","first-page":"205","volume":"165","author":"Banimahd M","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proc Inst Civ Engng Transp"},{"key":"bibr12-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1243\/095440905X8790"},{"key":"bibr13-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Varandas J.\n                      Long-term behaviour of railway transitions under dynamic loading\n                      . PhD Thesis, Faculdade de Ci\u00eancias e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, 2013."},{"key":"bibr14-0954409713499016","unstructured":"UIC 719R: 2008. Earthworks and track bed for railway lines."},{"key":"bibr15-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1061\/(ASCE)1090-0241(2005)131:11(1392)"},{"key":"bibr16-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Moreno J, Gonz\u00e1lez J, Santos A and Cu\u00e9llar V.\n                      SUPERTRACK: final report\u2009-\u2009retrofitting of track sections\n                      2005. Oslo, Norway: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI)."},{"key":"bibr17-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1631\/jzus.A12ISGT3"},{"key":"bibr18-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1243\/09544097JRRT345"},{"key":"bibr19-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Cu\u00e9llar V, Valerio J, Rivas JA and Rodr\u00edguez M. Improvement of transition zones for an old embankment. In: M M Hamza, M Shahien and Y El-Mossallamy (eds)\n                      The 17th international conference on soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering\n                      , Alexandria, Egypt, 5\u20139 October 2009, pp. 1901\u20131908. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: IOS Press."},{"key":"bibr20-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Luomala H and Nurmikolu A. Railway track stiffness measurements at bridge transition zones. In: S Miura, T Ishikawa, N Yoshida et\u00a0al. (eds)\n                      The Second conference on\n                      a\n                      dvances in transportation geotechnics\n                      , Hokkaido, Japan, 10\u201312 September 2012, pp. 811\u2013816. 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Athens, Greece: National Technical University of Athens."},{"key":"bibr26-0954409713499016","unstructured":"SNCF.\n                      Remblais contigues aux maconneries\n                      . 2002 1(2). Paris, France: SNCF."},{"key":"bibr27-0954409713499016","unstructured":"RFI.\n                      Capitolato costruzioni opere civil\u2009-\u2009documentazione societaria specifiche tecniche\n                      . 2005. Roma, Italy: RFI."},{"key":"bibr28-0954409713499016","unstructured":"GIF.\n                      Recomendaciones sobre las cu\u00f1as de transici\u00f3n; instrucciones y recomendaciones para redacci\u00f3n de proyectos y plataformas\n                      . 2004. Madrid, Spain: Gestor de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias."},{"key":"bibr29-0954409713499016","unstructured":"SNCF.\n                      Application ferroviaire, sp\u00e9cification technique\u2009-\u2009ST 590 Ind. B: Fournitures de granulats utilises pour la realisation et l'entratien des voies ferrees a usage electrique.\n                      no. ST 590 B, 2001. Paris, France: SNCF."},{"key":"bibr30-0954409713499016","unstructured":"FGSV.\n                      Dynamischer plattendruckversuch mit leichtem fallgewichtsgeraet\n                      . TP BF-StB, Teil B 8.3, 2012. K\u00f6ln, Germany: FGSV."},{"key":"bibr31-0954409713499016","unstructured":"GIF.\n                      Pliego de prescripciones t\u00e9cnicas tipo para los proyectos de plataforma\n                      . 2004. Madrid, Spain: Gestor de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias."},{"key":"bibr32-0954409713499016","unstructured":"RTRI. Design standards for railway structures and commentary (Earth Structures), 2007. Tokyo, Japan: RTRI."},{"key":"bibr33-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tatsuoka F, Tateyama M, Aoki H and Watanabe K. Bridge abutment made of cement-mixed gravel back-fill. In: Indraratna B and Chu J (eds)\n                      Ground improvement, case histories\n                      . First ed. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier, 2005, pp. 829\u2013783.","DOI":"10.1016\/S1571-9960(05)80032-1"},{"key":"bibr34-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Hao J, Gao L, Xu Z and Xiao H. Research on transitional section between ballasted track on subgrade and ballastless track on bridge of high-speed railway In: Batra RC, Qian L and Daxue NL (eds)\n                      The third international conference on mechanical engineering and mechanics,\n                      Beijing, China, 21\u221223 October 2009, pp. 1855\u20131860. Beijing, China: Science Press."},{"key":"bibr35-0954409713499016","unstructured":"NF P 94-117-1: 2000. Module sous chargement statique \u00e0 la plaque (EV2)."},{"key":"bibr36-0954409713499016","unstructured":"DIN 18134-04: 2012. Baugrund\u2009-\u2009versuche and versuchsger\u00e4te\u2009-\u2009plattendruckversuch."},{"key":"bibr37-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1061\/(ASCE)0733-947X(2000)126:1(66)"},{"key":"bibr38-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1243\/0954409JRRT95"},{"key":"bibr39-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Gomes Correia A. Evaluation of mechanical properties of unbound granular materials for pavements and rail tracks. In: A Gomes Correia and A Loizos (eds),\n                      The international seminar on geotechnics in pavement and railway design and construction.\n                      Athens, Greece,16\u201317 December 2004, pp. 35\u201360. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Millpress."},{"key":"bibr40-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fortunato E, Paix\u00e3o A and Fontul S. Improving the use of unbound granular materials in railway sub-ballast layer. In: S Miura, T Ishikawa, N Yoshida et\u00a0al. (eds)\n                      The second conference on\n                      a\n                      dvances in transportation geotechnics\n                      , Hokkaido, Japan, 10\u201312 September 2012, pp. 522\u2013527. London, UK: Taylor & Francis.","DOI":"10.1201\/b12754-77"},{"key":"bibr41-0954409713499016","unstructured":"EN 13286-7:2004. Unbound and hydraulically bound mixtures\u2009-\u2009part 7: cyclic load triaxial test for unbound mixtures."},{"key":"bibr42-0954409713499016","first-page":"3","volume":"216","author":"Balay J","year":"1998","journal-title":"Bull Lab Ponts Chauss\u00e9es"},{"key":"bibr43-0954409713499016","unstructured":"Boyce JR. A non-linear model for the elastic behaviour of granular materials under repeated loading. In: F B J Barends, J Lindenberg, H J Luger, et\u00a0al. (eds)\n                      The international symposium on soil under cyclic and transient loading\n                      . Swansea, UK, 7-11 January 1980, pp. 285\u2013294. 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Balkema, 1999, pp. 141\u2013151."},{"key":"bibr46-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matdes.2011.04.055"},{"key":"bibr47-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1520\/GTJ10481J"},{"key":"bibr48-0954409713499016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3208\/sandf.47.375"},{"key":"bibr49-0954409713499016","unstructured":"EN 13848-5: 2008. Railway applications\u2009-\u2009track\u2009-\u2009track geometry quality\u2009-\u2009part 5: geometric quality levels\u2009-\u2009plain line."}],"container-title":["Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0954409713499016","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/0954409713499016","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0954409713499016","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T22:54:02Z","timestamp":1777676042000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0954409713499016"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,8,28]]},"references-count":49,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/0954409713499016"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0954409713499016","relation":{},"ISSN":["0954-4097","2041-3017"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0954-4097","type":"print"},{"value":"2041-3017","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,8,28]]}}}