Laser Rail - Clearance Gauging and Measurement Solutions

Laser Rail is part of Balfour Beatty Rail Technologies, itself part of the Balfour Beatty Rail group that covers a wide range of railway infrastructure-related activities covering civil engineering, track, electrification, signalling and asset management. Increasingly, these activities are moving from traditional technologies into more advanced forms that improve reliability, extend lifetime and improve economics. Balfour Beatty Rail Technologies exists to develop, evaluate and inform the wider rail group and its clients of appropriate new technologies. The company has recently extended its technology base with the acquisition of Laser Rail, bringing expertise in gauging technologies, analysis and data management and a specialist team engaged in the area of track geometry measurement and evaluation. In doing so, the company’s skill base has been extended to cover civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and telecommunications engineering - providing a full spectrum of scientists, engineers and technologists to service any railway infrastructure need. Further, the synergy created by such a team working together ensures that complete solutions can be developed.

An example of this is in improving railway capacity at minimum cost. Laser Rail are the established leaders in clearance-related infrastructure improvements, but have focussed mainly on the measurement and analytical work to support this. As part of Balfour Beatty Rail, it is now able to extend the scope this to include design and implementation of schemes, providing the client with the possibility of turnkey solutions. Further, access to a number of innovative track technologies including XiTRACK® and Embedded Rail Slab Track provides engineered solutions that reduce the tolerances normally applied in gauging to provide even greater capacity from restrictive infrastructure. In the field of asset management, synergy between Laser Rail's new LaserFlex™ structure profile measuring system, 3D databases and advanced change detection software provides new tools for the catalogue and management of assets.

FEATURED PRODUCT - LASERSWEEP™

LaserSweep™ is a proven, versatile and portable measurement system which is used to measure railway structures in order to determine clearances to trains.

LaserSweep™ is rail mounted and designed to enable the user to undertake fast and accurate profile measurements of railway structures, including tunnels, overbridges, under-bridges, platforms, signals and station canopies.

Onboard Bluetooth™ technology provides cable free operation.

New optional LaserClear™ software with a tablet PC allows the user to obtain instantaneous clearance results that can be used to verify and assure clearances following the completion of works carried out on the rail infrastructure.

The LaserSweep™ system has been designed and built to meet with the UK's statutory and safety regulations and has also been awarded product approval by Network Rail.

Main system features and benefits

• Robust measurement unit designed for railway use with 12 years in-service proving
• Comprises a measurement head, an insulated bracing leg with a rail foot and a computer / PDA
• Profile measurements are taken in plane of rail and corrected for the measured track cant
• Rail mounted, referenced to the running edge of the (datum) rail through hardened steel points
• Bluetooth™ connectivity enables LaserSweep™ to be used with PDA and/or tablet computers
• Automatic measurement or manual measurement for discreet points i.e. OLE, cable brackets
• Battery provides 3-4 hours of continuous on-site measurement
• ClearRoute compatible output
• Robust carrying cases for both LaserSweep™ measurement unit, leg and foot assembly
• Self-calibration check facility
• Battery charging facility for 240VAC and 110VAC (such as underground tunnel power supply)
• Day or night time use
• All weather operation
• Compliant with London Underground and Network Rail safety standards