Update and Case Studies of Geotrack™: A Software for Railway Track and Subgrade Analysis

Geotrack™ is a software for railroad track and subgrade analysis originally developed in the 1980s and is owned by Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Geotrack™ provides validated analytical solutions under vertical wheel loads, with ballast, subballast, and subgrade layers fully characterized with geotechnical properties. This paper presents the latest update to this software, including execution on modern computers, a new user interface, new output visualization, and more importantly enhanced capabilities in terms of dynamic factor analysis and a permanent deformation prediction. In addition, this paper will present case studies to illustrate how Geotrack™ can help engineers understand the performance of multi-layer railway tracks under various loading, track, and subgrade conditions.