Detailed Report: Designing of Railroad Construction Project - CE 3.1

This report details a student's involvement in a railroad construction project, focusing on the role of an engineering technologist. The project involved designing a railroad, including selecting structural types, ensuring vertical clearances, and addressing construction challenges. The report outlines the project objectives, the student's responsibilities (including technical specifications, tender analysis, and project scheduling), and the engineering skills applied. It also describes the execution of tasks, such as material requirements and drainage systems, and identifies issues encountered, such as prototype assembly, along with the solutions implemented. The student emphasizes collaboration, planning, and the importance of applying theoretical knowledge to practical construction. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the project's design, execution, and the student's contributions to its success.

CE 3.1 Information of Project
Project Name: Designing of Railroad Construction
Location of the project: Please fill
Project Duration: Please fill
Organization: Please fill
Role and Designation in the project: Engineering Technologist
CE 3.2 Background of the Project
CE 3.2.1 Basic Project’s Characteristics
The track on a railroad or railway is the structure comprising of ballast, railroad ties,
fasteners and rails with underlying subgrade. This type of track enables the trains for moving
by providing any dependable surface for the wheels to roll upon. Such tracks are being
installed on the ties and sleepers for fitting with metal moves and wheels. The major
variations can be possible such as slab tracks, in which the rails could be fastened to this type
of concrete foundation that is resting on the prepared sub surfaces. In this project work, I
have taken five different types of structure, which were steel spans with concrete deck, pre-
stressed concrete, and pre-stressed concrete box girder, cast in the place box girders and
through type pre stressed girders. I selected floor beams of 21 inches depth and columns of
0.2 H thickness. Therefore, I was eventually successful in constructing a railroad for the
citizens of my city.
CE 3.2.2 Developed Objectives for the project work
Designing of Railroad Construction was being done with the core purpose to provide
better advantages to the citizens of the city. With subsequent knowledge about footing of the

main bar as well as distribution bar and even proposing a compact design to the railroad, it
was required to note each project objective before initiating the my specific project work.
Therefore, to gain accurate results from the project work, I subsequently developed few of the
important objectives, which are given in these following paragraphs:
 To propose a detailed design for the project of Designing of Railroad Construction
and ensuring that project is being completed as per planning.
 To prepare the subsequent bill of quantities for this particular project to check the
respective calculations of construction expenses as well as make accurate and proper
system for tendering purpose.
 To evaluate the building costs in terms of contractual measurements and assist
tenderers for quoting lump sum prices.
 To make sure that project is being completed within deadline and within estimated
budget by not compromising with quality of work.
 To schedule the plans as well as details for completion of the construction.
 To contrast the results obtained from experiment with my expected project results.
 To give a solution to every existing issue faced by the citizens in existing railroads.
CE 3.2.3 My working area in the work
I was recruited as the engineering technologist in this specified project of Designing
of Railroad Construction by the head of the department. As I have major interests in every
type of construction project and I have been a part of such project works, I did not eventually
confronted any major issue during execution of the project with my team members. Being an
engineering technologist, it was my responsibility to check if every equipment and operating
parameters is working perfectly. We were total of 3 people in this project team and my
respective project leader had identified my significant strengths and advantages in the entire

Head of the Department
Project Supervisor
Engineering Technologist (Me)
course before choosing me to be a major part of the team and hence become a responsible
project member.
CE 3.2.4 Group Involved in Project
Figure 1: Team Members of the Project Work
CE 3.2.5 My main responsibilities and duties throughout this work
To accomplish the tasks in this particular project work, I was substantially assigned
for understanding the need of the project work for Designing of Railroad Construction. As I
was the engineering technologist, my first responsibilities included proper preparation of
several technical specification, preparation of tenders, analysis of tenders, bringing
contractors on board and contract. Preparation of various quality manuals and standards for
project drawings. I also had to calculate as well as comprehend the entire project scope from
subsequent structural and architectural drawings provided to me. I was also responsible for

analysing the probability of issues, occurring within the project and process to deal with
them. I even evaluated the specifications or BOQ to properly analyse successive programs for
project schedule or work. I also retained a proper track for the progress of project and then
identified major issues or challenges while deploying the project work for Designing of
Railroad Construction. Moreover, I documented, planned and even coordinated with the team
for successful site execution. An entire progress of the project was being regularly monitored
with scheduling. Preparing of certification as well as billing of our contractor’s payment was
prepared by me. A detailed cost planning was done and budget was made by me. Moreover, I
even determined the method for executing this project, to ensure that project is being
completed within deadline. Another significant responsibility that I had in this project was to
find out the most important tools for assisting budget controls.
CE 3.3 Distinct Activity in the Work
CE 3.3.1 Comprehending Basic Theory Used in the Project work
I have used my theoretical understanding of types of structure in this project of
Designing of Railroad Construction. I had considered footing of top and bottom main bars as
well as distribution bars after including combine footing and 4 columns. There were five
types of structures used in the project, each with skew in degrees. The preferred angle of
bridge structure and roadway crossing that was relative to the track centreline was 90
degrees. However, I ensured that the highest skew of the bridge structure should not exceed
90 degrees under any circumstance.

Table 1: Types of Structure used and Skew in Degrees
For the vertical clearances, I ensured that the structure would be secured from
unauthorized and oversized higher loads. The concrete structures without vehicular traffic
was being secured with collision impact device that is being installed on the complete width
of travelled lane and were attached to the soffit of the bridge.
Table 2: Vertical Clearances of the project
CE 3.3.2 Major Engineering skills as well as knowledge applied in this work
I had to perfectly use my subsequent understanding of structural analysis and
structural designing. Being an engineering technologist, I did not face much issue in
proposing a compact design for this project. I even understood that calculation was quite
important and significant. I was able to provide error free and perfect calculations for the
project. I even undertook help from my head of the department and project supervisor for
ensuring that the project is not comprising any kind of errors or flaws. Other engineering

skills and knowledge applied in this project were testing the efficiency of equipment or
technological products and build or repair any faulty equipment.
CE 3.3.3 Execution and Tasks Performed in this work
To accomplish this project work, I had to consider the material requirements for steel
structure. I checked if the thickness of structural steel should not be lesser than 0.335 inches.
The parts, which are related to the destructive influence should be of better width than usual
steps undertaken for protection of the same against these influences. I even checked that the
minimum size of high strength bolt should be of 8 inches diameter and the fracture critical
member should be designed for the lowest service temperature for -300 F. For walkway, I
made it 3 ft wide and ensured that ballast structures are needing walkways in maximum
cases. For prevention of cracking under the LL (live loads), I provided ¼ inches wide joints
for 10 ft highest spacing over ballast retainers, walkways as well as concrete curbs. I even
made proper drainage system and structure separation of 5 ft.

Table 3: Surcharge Pressure for Live Load
CE 3.3.4 Identified issues with their solutions
3.3.4.1 Issues faced in this work
The technical difficulty that I had confronted here was while assembling the
prototypes and systems. I had to conduct the original assembling of newly developed
technological prototypes and I was unable to do efficiently. As a result, my team members
faced major issues related to technical design.
3.3.4.2 Solutions to the identified issues
To resolve the issue of prototypes and systems, I decided to take into consideration
the details of my previously used technological prototypes. I even took help from my project

supervisor and finally was able to identify my mistake and hence construction was completed
successfully.
CE 3.3.5 Plan made for giving innovative or creative works
My planning was designing the railroad with every original effort to work with every
worker and project supervisor. I even had sub divided the mechanisms of project
methodology and ensured that all the workers are working with high efficacy.
CE 3.3.6 Work Collaboration
I alongside with project supervisor had to accomplish works. I conducted formal
meeting with the workers to gain weekly progress reports. To keep my team morale higher, I
had to make sure that all of us were getting equivalent chance for sharing every individual
idea and thus feel equally vital in this project.
CE 3.4 Overall Review of the Project
CE 3.4.1 Overview of the Project
I had to document and note all significant results while integrating project work.
Being an engineering technologist, I even had to use my major understanding for civil
engineering projects and construction work as well as structural designing or analysis. The
railroad was being constructed without much complexity and I was successful in completing
my work.
CE 3.4.2 My Major Contributions to the work
I had effectively constructed the railroad for this project of railroad construction,
being one of the most responsible project developer. My other important and significant
contributions to the project was providing several solutions to every issue confronted within
the project.