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TR Circular E-C058_9th LRT Conference_2003.pdf - Florida ...

TR Circular E-C058_9th LRT Conference_2003.pdf - Florida ...

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CIVIL DESIGN<br />

Floating Slab Trackbed Design to Control Groundborne Noise from<br />

Newark–Elizabeth Rail Link Light Rail Transit<br />

N<br />

RICHARD A. CARMAN<br />

Wilson, Ihrig & Associates, Inc.<br />

PETER SMOLUCHOWSKI<br />

URS Corporation<br />

HARVEY L. BERLINER<br />

Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas<br />

J Transit is in the process of final design for the Newark–Elizabeth Rail Link (NERL)<br />

project, a new light rail transit alignment that will connect with the existing Newark City<br />

subway system. A regional Performing Arts Center is adjacent to a portion of the new rail<br />

alignment and at some point in the future, the Performing Arts Center may also construct a<br />

concert hall directly adjacent to the new rail line. Detailed analysis of the potential for<br />

groundborne noise from ground vibration generated by light rail vehicles was performed by<br />

Wilson, Ihrig and Associates, Inc. (WIA) working with the BRW/Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB)<br />

Joint Venture team. WIA determined the track support system adopted for the NERL project<br />

would result in higher levels of groundborne noise than appropriate for the Performing Arts<br />

Center. The goal of the team’s work was to determine an effective mitigation measure, which<br />

would control ground vibration and avoid interference from groundborne noise. The tracks will<br />

be at-grade and accessible by the public which was a significant consideration. Different track<br />

support systems were evaluated for their effectiveness in resolving the issues. A sealed floating<br />

slab system was selected as the most effective and offered ultimate protection should the concert<br />

hall be built at a later date. A unique construction technique developed by BRW/PB Joint<br />

Venture and KS Engineers for the concrete slabs supporting the track will also be presented.<br />

IN<strong>TR</strong>ODUCTION<br />

The Newark–Elizabeth Rail Link (NERL) Minimum Operable Segment 1 (MOS-1) is an<br />

approximately 1-mi, four-station extension of the Newark City Subway (NCS) that is currently<br />

being constructed by NJ Transit in downtown Newark, New Jersey. The NCS extension or<br />

NERL MOS-1 connects Newark’s Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor with Newark’s Broad<br />

Street Station on the Morris and Essex Lines as shown Figure 1. Between these two commuter<br />

rail stations the NERL MOS-1 runs through Newark’s Arts District servicing the Washington<br />

Park office area, the Newark Art Museum, Newark Library, Riverfront Baseball Stadium, and<br />

the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).<br />

The NJPAC is a $180-million performance center with two theaters that opened in<br />

October 1997. The opening of the NJPAC marked the return of Newark as a regional cultural<br />

407

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