Grade crossings: from concrete and wood to rubber, steel and composite, manufacturers continue to look for new materials and new products to make crossings better

Railway Track and Structures, June, 2004 by Mischa Wanek

OMNI also has two new product lines, Improved Concrete/Embedded Concrete Rubber and the Improved Concrete/ VRA. The IC/ECR line is a full-depth concrete/rubber system that has full-depth, 100-percent virgin rubber in the gauge along with OMNI's patented one-piece Embedded Concrete Rubber panels on the field sides.

The IC/VRA crossing system incorporates Improved Concrete gauge panels and VRA molded, full-depth, virgin rubber RailGuard field panels. According to OMNI, this system is ideal for use on 8-foot, 6-inch ties.

OMNI has also developed a concrete panel on concrete tie lagging system in which the concrete panel is fastened securely to the concrete tie. This system was developed for the Long Island Rail Road. This product has been in track for two years and continues to be produced.

"I think our ability to produce both virgin rubber products and pre-cast concrete panels gives us an edge over the competition," said Scott Willhite, marketing manager at OMNI. "This allows us to produce a combination of both virgin rubber and concrete products to match specific needs of our customers."

Rail-Way, Inc., continues to offer a full line of grade-crossing products, including concrete grade crossings, full-depth rubber grade crossings and rubber rail seal. The company's precast concrete grade crossings come in two panel lengths. Its standard 8-foot, 1-1/2-inch panel conforms to the UP/BNSF Common Standard Crossing Panels for precast grade crossings. The company also incorporates the same UP/BNSF specifications in its 9-foot panels. Both systems can be used on 9-foot and 10-foot wood or concrete ties.

Customers requesting that Rail-Way's products conform to the UP/BNSF Common Standard Crossing Panel specifications is a trend the company expects to continue.

Rail-Way's products do not require any shims, cables or filler blocks that decrease installation time. The company's gauge panel is hinged, which also facilitates an easier installation between the rails. The square grid molded rubber surface aids in water channeling, as well as providing protection from oil and chemicals. Rail-Way's rail seal system can be used with asphalt or pour-in-place concrete, is reusable, helps to seal out moisture and debris and it can be used with most rail sizes and fastening systems.

The company has added several innovations that it feels give it a competitive edge over the other suppliers of concrete grade crossings.

"All of our angle irons surrounding the concrete panels are powder coated, which is superior to painting or priming. We add a corrosion inhibitor directly to the concrete mixture to prohibit rust from forming on the imbedded steel-reinforcing rod. This provides permanent protection from salt migration versus a top sealer that must be re-applied every year," said Mike Haas, director of sales and marketing. "We also galvanize every lifting hook in each panel to provide rust protection. Each gauge panel incorporates a plastic shunt protector between the end angle-iron surrounds. Our concrete grade-crossing panels are poured and kept inside until they are removed from their forms and then sprayed with a curing compound to provide proper curing and consistent quality control of the product."