Location: Glasgow, Scotland
High Street and Finnieston Rail Tunnels are key elements of the rail network within Glasgow city centre, incorporating reinforced concrete slab track systems. McFarland Consulting Ltd were appointed to undertake a programme of targeted investigations to assess the condition of the slab tracks and determine the presence and extent of voiding beneath the rails.
The investigative works were delivered over two phases and were carefully planned to suit the operational constraints of the live rail environment. MCL engineers carried out detailed visual inspections of the exposed slab track surfaces and extracted concrete samples for compressive strength and petrographic analysis to establish material condition and performance.
To identify potential voids beneath the slab track, MCL employed a suite of specialist non-destructive testing techniques. These included s’MASH impulse response testing, impact echo surveys, MIRA ultrasonic tomography and ground penetrating radar, each selected to provide complementary insight into subsurface conditions and structural continuity.
Based on the results of the non-destructive investigations, a series of targeted 30 mm diameter cores were extracted at areas of interest to verify the findings and confirm the presence and extent of voiding. The combined investigation programme enabled the Client to accurately locate areas of concern and to develop an informed monitoring and remedial strategy, supporting the continued safe operation of these critical rail assets.