"Guía de inspección visual de patologías presentes en el kilómetro 225 del corredor ferrovial Bogotá-Belencito"

Abstract

The evaluation of railroad infrastructure has not been fully developed in the country, the existing railroad networks have experienced a historical abandonment that has generated pathologies in their operating structures, the current recovery attempts require the standardization of protocols and effective methodologies for damage assessment.

For this reason, this study aims to make a visual inspection guide taking a section of 100 meters located at kilometer 225 of the corridor La Caro - Belencito with a superstructure formed with wooden and concrete sleepers, limestone ballast and rails between 90 and 60 lb/yd.

This line belongs to the patrimonial group of national order of the stations of passengers of the railroad in Colombia century XX. The current study consists of a methodical visual description of the characteristics that reduce the effectiveness of the railroad tracks and by comparing them to their exterior it aims to identify the pathologies.

To this end, the rail, sleeper, ballast and bolts were inspected during four visits in 2019, in which their external appearance was reviewed and documented photographically. Through the evaluation, the poor condition in which it is currently found, structural damage to the track that compromises the structural integrity of the railway work, became evident. Subsequently, a historical review of the road network is presented, the methods used followed by the results of our study presenting the preliminary design of a visual identification guide of pathologies present in the railway.

At the end, a brief analysis of the current conditions in which the work is located is provided. The selected portion of the track exhibited numerous pathologies, some of which are described and illustrated, such as; the rail presents high corrosion, crushing and wear, the wooden sleepers present evident damage caused by humidity and the concrete sleepers are cracked, the bolts are loose and corroded, the stone material of the ballast is not uniform in the section, and finally a vehicular and pedestrian passage is registered over the work. It was concluded that the current appearance of the railway work is regular, due to the scarce use and maintenance.

However, the pathologies present are common in this type of structure, for this reason it is fundamental to evaluate them correctly in order to carry out a correct recovery of this valuable means of transport.