Market Sectors

Railroad Engineering

We cannot afford to continue relying on historical design standards for today’s railroad bridge and trestle rehabilitation and live track replacement. A contractor needs to be willing and able to apply new or unique construction methods, especially when providing services to railroad clients in remote regions.

In order to build within an owner’s budget, you need to build smart. That often means innovating new standards, techniques and even equipment in order to successfully meet the challenge. BSM Engineering has demonstrated the ability to apply such methods and technology to serve the railroad sector.

We recognize the significant revenue loss associated with line shutdowns during construction, and we work to develop methods specific to the client’s operational needs when performing replacement or rehabilitation projects. When engineers and contractors work in harmony, the owner often reaps substantial dividends.

Live Track Replacement Bridges

  • Development and implementation of numerous live track replacement techniques for building a new bridge without causing costly interruption of train service
  • Synchronization of efforts with contractors to ensure seamless execution
  • Coordination of shut down windows with the railroad to minimize impact on train schedules and avoid revenue loss

Bridge Rehabilitation

  • Upgrade or preservation of load rating capacity for existing bridges
  • Replacement of deficient members or portions
  • Embankment protection
  • Concrete strengthening using fiber reinforced polymers (FRP), which provides 10 times the tensile strength of structural steel
  • Rehabilitation program coordination with the owner at the onset of the project to ensure financial responsibility
  • Rehabilitation of existing timber, steel and concrete structures often under live track conditions

Inspections and Load Ratings

  • Bridge inspections and condition assessments often required as a prerequisite for providing a load rating
  • Investigations including material sampling and metallurgy testing in order to prescribe a rehabilitation program for the owner
  • Destructive and non-destructive evaluation (NDE)
  • Bridge monitoring or Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
  • Experience with inspection of existing concrete, timber and steel railroad bridges