RockDelta

High-efciency mats for vibration isolation and ballast protection

Stone wool as high-efciency, resilient mats

The world in
02

RockDelta Vibration Isolation is Common Sense

motion

Effective, durable solution to vibration problems

Dealing with ground-borne

Vibration
Attenuation of vibration using RockDelta resilient mats to deal with trackvibration
It is possible to attenuate the effects of such vibration by decoupling the track from the ground, using a resilient support layer. The unique properties of RockDelta anti-vibration mats provide a highly efcient, durable and environmentally friendly solution to most of the vibration problems encountered in the vicinity of rail and tram tracks. This solution results in a considerable improvement in the quality of life for those nearby.

Vibration caused by rail trafc

The passage of trains, trams and other kinds of rail trafc generates vibrations of many kinds. These mainly stem from contact between wheels and rails whose surfaces have a non-perfect geometry, and also to the passage of wheels and bogies over track joints and sleepers. Such vibration is transmitted through the entire track structure rails, sleepers, ballast and sublayers and propagates through the subsoil as waves. People, who live and work close to such railway lines or above railway tunnels, experience these waves as vibration. Historical buildings and delicate machinery in nearby buildings are also adversely affected by vibration of this kind.

Experience with resilient mats since 1974 Long-term fatigue resistance Excellent dynamic properties, with high volume compressibility Outstanding longevity and durability, with consistent performance throughout

No changes in functional performance at sub-zero temperatures Functional performance unaffected by water High resistance to chemical, biological and environmental factors Unique re and smoke safety properties withstands temperatures in excess of 1000C

03

RockDelta a member of the Rockwool Group

The RockDelta

Vision

As a member of the Rockwool Group the worlds largest manufacturer of stone wool RockDelta aims to maintain a comfortable environment by controlling undesirable ground-borne noise and vibration. Our innovative product portfolio consists of matbased anti-vibration isolation systems that help reduce and manage ground-borne vibrations. There are two distinct product ranges RockBallast for dealing with vibration in ballasted tracks and RockXolid for dealing with vibration in oating slab tracks.

04

RockDelta products are 100% recyclable

Stonewool and the

Environment
Environmentally friendly products
Environmental responsibility is of vital importance to RockDelta. The company is part of the Rockwool Group, and RockDelta follows the stringent, award-winning, Rockwool Group environmental responsibility policy. This includes environmental analysis of all projects involving new production equipment or new products, an elaborate environmental management system and the conduct of environmental audits at the Groups manufacturing plants.

Stone wool components

RockDelta products are manufactured at Rockwool factories in accordance with Quality System Certicate, EN ISO 9001:1994 and Environmental Management System Certicate 14001:1996. The quality of our products and a responsible environmental policy are key features in the RockDelta way of doing business. Our vibration isolation solutions are 100% recyclable and noncombustible.

Coke

Diabase
Environmental Management System Certicate 14001:1996

Recycling briquettes

Lime

05

Easy to handle Easy to t Easy to install

Next-generation resilient mat solutions for ballast tracks

The RockDelta solution for resiliently supported ballast tracks consists of a patented dual-density mat, with a low-density elastic bottom layer and an integral high-density force-distributing top layer. This is combined with a composite product comprising two membranes of non-woven geotextile and a load-distributing core. This purpose-made geotextile ensures high puncture resistance, high tensile strength, superb ltering characteristics and excellent water ow capacity. At the same time, it deforms perfectly under the load exerted by the ballast, as well as making it particularly easy to replace the ballast as and when required. The RockBallast series is available in two versions Premium and Standard each with distinctive features, advantages and benets. Both feature the same advanced bre structure, providing a resilient mat that is uniquely ductile and durable. The RockBallast Premium series also encompasses all the innovative features that have become the hallmark of a durable, high-performance resilient mat for ballast tracks. The RockBallast Premium features exceptionally ne production tolerances on key functional parameters, an extra-broad spectrum of operating loads, the use of a special hydrophobic geotextile and insertion loss calculations based upon classic impedance theory. Customised mat dimensions are also available.

06

Resilient mat solutions for oating slab tracks

The RockDelta solution for resiliently supported oating slab tracks consists of a continuous, fullcontact system that introduces a durable, highefciency spring element into the track substructure. This ensures resilient decoupling of the dynamic behaviour of the concrete slab and track system in relation to the ground beneath. The RockXolid series is available in two versions Premium and Standard each with distinctive features, advantages and benets. Both feature the same advanced bre structure providing a resilient mat that is uniquely ductile and durable. The RockXolid Premium series also encompasses all the innovative features that have become the hallmark of a durable, highperformance resilient mat for oating slab tracks. The Premium series features exceptionally ne production tolerances on key functional parameters, an extra-broad spectrum of operating loads, builtin drainage channels and the use of insertion loss calculations based upon classic impedance theory. Customised mat dimensions are also available.

07

Fatigue resistance test in accordance with German Railways norm DB BN 918 071-1

Long-term
Large-scale fatigue test

behaviour
Long-term practical experience
Our practical experience with the use of RockDelta resilient mats goes back a long time. As early as 1978, the Norwegian National Railways (NSB) decided to install anti-vibration mats based on stone wool in a section of tunnel track in the capital city of Oslo, right beneath the cathedral. In 1996, as part of a preliminary investigation to determine the best possible method for vibration isolation for the planned Gardermobanan line, NSB decided to conduct extensive research (both in situ and in vitro) into the long-term performance characteristics of RockDelta resilient mats. The test results showed that these mats had retained their functional performance over the full 18 years since they were laid.

RockDelta resilient mats provide outstanding resistance to mechanical stress fatigue and to inuences from any environment in which the track is located. The key feature is that functional performance, as well as both dynamic and static stiffness, remain virtually unaltered, even after decades of use. Numerous laboratory and in situ tests have conrmed this. These include a large-scale fatigue test conducted at the Danish Technical University, extending over more than 15 months and involving more than 100 million dynamic load cycles. The nal conclusions of this test were carried out by the Chair and Institute for Road, Railway and Aireld Construction at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.

Dynamic Stiffness at 5 mm/s RMS, 10 kN/m2 static load

20 Hz 50 Hz 100 Hz

Long-term behaviour of stone wool in a ballasted track under adverse climatic conditions

0,040 0,030 N/mm3 0,020 0,010 0,000 0 20 40 60 80 100 Milions of Fatigue Load Cycles

08

Long-term durability and constant stiffness in water

RockDelta
Dynamic stiffness and water

Ambient temperatures
Ambient temperatures both high and low have a signicant inuence on the resilient components of rail tracks. It has been demonstrated that RockDelta stone wool-based resilient mats provide high-performance track vibration isolation, regardless of ambient temperatures. A test was carried out at the Technical University of Munich in Germany to corroborate this. Samples of RockDelta resilient mats were subjected to large sub-zero temperature uctuations while measuring the Low Frequency Dynamic Bed Modulus in accordance with German Railways norm DB BN 918 071-1 at pre-dened temperatures. The conclusion was that RockDelta resilient mats retained their vibration mitigation performance regardless of subzero or even very high temperatures.

resilient mats and the climate

Water may well be present in the rail substructure for long periods of time due to rain and ooding, for example. It is therefore crucial that the resilient components used in the track substructure have a high resistance to water and its inuence, to ensure long-term durability and maintain the geometry of the track. To achieve this, RockDelta resilient mats display outstanding efciency and durability even after decades of rail freight operation under adverse climatic conditions, including complete submersion in water.

No functional performance changes at sub-zero temperatures

Finse. Photo: Svein Ulvund

09

Poissons Ratio high-volume compressibility

Compressibility

properties
In many cases, the materials ability to absorb loads with no signicant change in its elastic properties is almost equally important. This is often described as the bulk elastic (volume compressibility) properties of the material. These determine how much the material compresses under a given external load. RockDelta resilient mats possess a uniquely high degree of volume compressibility, which means that the material has a Poissons Ratio of almost zero. This indicates that a RockDelta anti-vibration solution will be independent of the dimensions of the actual track bed footprint. The material contains voids that absorb the compression of the material. For a resiliently supported oating slab track, this is an important advantage because the stiffness of RockDelta resilient mats does not vary as a function of the track bed width.

A materials suitability as a resilient component in anti-vibration rail track installations is governed by many different factors. Firstly, the material needs to have a suitable load-deection curve with a wide operating range, along with the ability to achieve a working point on such a curve that ensures an ample dynamic range over which the material can provide support.

10

Fire

resistance
RockDelta anti-vibration mats therefore help ensure effective protection against re and smoke, reducing any risk of loss of life, structural damage and nancial losses. Non-combustible Minimum smoke generation No emission of toxic gases No burning droplets Withstands temperatures in excess of 1000C Euroclass A2 (s1, d0) according to the CEN re safety standard

Within rail-based transport, re and smoke safety are vitally important, with potentially far-reaching consequences not least for tracks laid in tunnels. It is therefore important to have accurate knowledge about how every component in the tunnel structure reacts to re, as well as about the degree of re resistance it can provide. RockDelta stone wool-based anti-vibration mats display unique inherent re and smoke safety features, as evidenced by the fact that these products are classied as Euroclass A2 (s1, d0). Standard Fire Curve (iso 834)

1200C 1000C 800C 600C 400C 200C 0C 20 40 60 80 100 120 min.

Glass wool melts Steel loses load bearing capacity / polystyrene foam burnes Polyurethane foam burns Stone wool melts

Unique re and smoke safety properties

11

v 1. 01/09/08

RockDelta, RockBallast, RockXolid and NoiStop are registered trademarks of RockDelta a/s. Rockwool is a registered trademark of Rockwool International A/S. RockDelta a/s reserves the right to alter or amend the specication of products without notice as our products are constantly being improved. Efforts are made to ensure that the information contained in this brochure is correct at the date of publication. Whilst RockDelta a/s will endeavour to keep its publications up to date, improvements might be made to the products in between publications, or other developments or regulatory changes affecting the accuracy of the information contained in this brochure might take place. The above applications do not necessarily represent an exhaustive list of applications for RockBallast/RockXolid. RockDelta a/s does not accept responsibility for the consequences of using RockBallast/RockXolid in applications different from those described above. Expert advice should be sought where such different applications are contemplated, or where the extent of any listed application is in doubt. Nothing in this brochure shall be regarded as granting any warranties or guarantees as to the products or applications.

RockDelta a/s (Rockwool A/S) Hovedgaden 584 DK-2640 Hedehusene Denmark Tel +45 4656 5020 Fax +45 4656 5080 sales@rockdelta.com www.rockdelta.com

A member of the Rockwool Group

Local contact: