United States Department of Transportation
i
Assessment of aggregate sources in Michigan for high speed railroad ballast.
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2014-01-01
[PDF-2.39 MB]
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Abstract:MDOT purchased 135 miles of the Norfolk-Southern railroad in 2012 to upgrade for high speed rail travel
between Chicago and the Detroit area. An important part of the upgrade is to assess the current quality of
the ballast material and to determine if the ballast meets possible high speed rail standards. This report
investigated current MDOT ballast standards, other US railroad standards, international standards and if
high speed rail ballast standards had been adopted. The Los Angeles abrasion (LAA) standard was used to
investigate aggregate sources in Michigan and the surroundings states and Canada. The LAA values used
in the study were obtained from MDOT’s aggregate inventory database. MDOT’s current LAA
specification is a minimum of 40%, while Amtrak is 18%. The study found that the current MDOT
ballast specifications of LAA of 40% allow most of the carbonate sources in Lower Peninsula to be used.
The stricter LAA limit of 18% would not allow most carbonate aggregate source to be used, while 25% of
the igneous and metamorphic sources that occur in the Upper Peninsula (UP) and Canada would be able
to meet the 18% specification. The study also investigated the dynamic properties of the Port Inland
limestone and found that while its LAA would not meet Amtrak standards, its dynamic strength is similar
to the static strength of the iron ore waste rock in the UP.
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