NPCA Director of Codes and Standards Eric Carleton, P.E., attended the American Railway Engineers and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Committee 8 – Concrete Structures and Foundations meetings in Kansas City, Kansas.
This is the first live meeting of the committee since the pandemic travel shutdown. The committee agenda included a review of and revisions to the AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 8, Part 16 Design and Construction of Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts. Part 16 is currently slated for reaffirmation to review and revise new provisions.
NPCA Director of Codes and Standards Eric Carleton, P.E., attends AREMA Committee 8 meetings in Kansas City.
Important issues related to precast box sections include acknowledgment of high strength welded wire reinforcement, alignment of concrete cover with ASTM and AASHTO requirements, aligning appropriate installation provisions currently within ASTM C1675, the addition of rubber gasketed joint systems, as well as bulk mastic and rope sealant methods currently described.
In his report, Carleton highlighted the need for the precast box culvert industry to get involved in the committee for the purpose of representing concerns within the existing AREMA manual and advocating for more appropriate design criteria during the guide modification process.
AREMA is comprised of railroad industry owners, consulting engineers who design track and structures for owners, and suppliers who furnish material for rail, track and bridge structures. The AREMA manual is a guide intended for use by the engineers that design structures for railroads and covers all aspects of railroading, including communications & signals, maintenance, passenger service, track, and structures.
Questions or requests for additional information can be directed to Eric Carleton via email at [email protected].
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