Oahu, Hawaii’s rail system is getting ready to replace a large segment of rails effected by a large crack in the concrete foundation supporting it. This is a more common in public transportation that you may think and these repairs often get sidelined until the last possible minute because of the disruption they cause. Any repair in rail lines mean that you have to shut down a public transportation system, which for some areas of the country can cause more issues than you can imagine.
HART, Hawai’’s public transportation service, is still in the development stages of building out and improving its rail system for overall public transportation support in the state. Originally, HART was alerted to the crack in concrete by a viewer who contacted a local news station.
They did some investigation to see the seriousness of the crack and discovered a large-sized crack. Normally, for concrete to function, these types of cracks can cause a breakdown that leads to failure. Hairline fractures, on the other hand, are normal in concrete and generally harmless.
The crack in this particular segment of concrete could potentially lead to structural failure, which is why HART is in the process of repairing the segment. Unfortunately, repairs couldn’t be done upon further investigation and now a new segment has to be created and installed. This process takes at least five days. This isn’t the first segment that’s cracked and it won’t be the last. Luckily, HART is taking the matter seriously and replacing the segment is the best way to keep the trains running and the public safe.
Concrete segment replacement is a common practice among rail lines. Everything from normal use to weather to just the degradation of concrete can cause fractures and cracks that need to be replaced. As long as they are replaced right away, these fractures are harmless to the public.