East Side Access – Fibre Reinforced Metro Track Slab

The first synthetic fibre reinforced metro track slab in North America.

The East Side Access project is one of the largest railway infrastructure developments undertaken in North America, connecting the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal beneath Manhattan, New York. The project included approximately 8 miles (13 km) of new metro track slab in newly constructed tunnels through Queens and Manhattan.

As part of the permanent railway infrastructure, the project adopted a BarChip fibre reinforced concrete metro track slab, delivering the first synthetic fibre reinforced concrete track slab constructed in North America.

• Owner: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
• Designer: Parsons
• Contractor: RailWorks
• Ready-Mix: US Concrete Ferrara Brothers
• Application: Metro Track Slab
• Reinforcement: BarChip 48 Macro Synthetic Fibre

 

 

Fibre Reinforced Metro Track Slab

The East Side Access alignment required permanent railway track to be constructed through confined underground tunnels and complex rail infrastructure. By replacing conventional reinforcing steel with BarChip macro synthetic fibres, the project eliminated the need to place and fix reinforcing bars within the track slab, simplifying installation and improving constructability in restricted working conditions.

Because BarChip reinforcement is electrically non-conductive, grounding requirements associated with the track slab’s stray current control system were significantly reduced, further simplifying construction.

 

Project Outcomes

The completed project demonstrated how fibre reinforced concrete track slab can improve constructability while meeting the demanding requirements of modern underground railway infrastructure. Key project outcomes included:

• First synthetic fibre reinforced concrete metro track slab in North America.
• Approximately 8 miles (13 km) of fibre reinforced concrete metro track.
• Elimination of conventional steel reinforcing bars within the track slab.
• Improved constructability in confined underground work areas.
• Reduced grounding requirements associated with the track slab’s stray current control system through the use of electrically non-conductive reinforcement.

 

 

The East Side Access project joins a growing portfolio of BarChip fibre reinforced concrete track slab projects delivered around the world, demonstrating the versatility of macro synthetic fibre reinforcement across metro, light rail, high-speed rail and heavy rail infrastructure.