The study of design criterions and factors of metro depot design

Metro depot area is needed to include operating, cleaning, maintenance and repair, overhaul, material requisition and parking areas for vehicles. Designing these facilities, many factors and criteria have to be taken into account. First of all, Istanbul metro lines and their depot areas are mentioned in this thesis study. Then designing factors and criteria for a metro depot area are highlighted. Afterwards, final design project in the contract of Istanbul Uskudar-Umraniye-Cekmekoy metro line is being analyzed and a new conceptual design project for metro depot area is being developed. Finally, by taking into consideration of the results indicated, new suggestions and aspects about metro depot design are being made. Factors for designing metro depot area are; location and site selection, operation, workshop and maintenance services, parking tracks, vehicle features, rood connection, city and environment interaction, access tracks, security, electromechanical systems, infrastructure, superstructure and track geometry parameters. Criterion of track design, criterion of workshop design and criterion of environmental noise and vibration are needed to be taken in consideration as design criterions. Metro depot area is needed to be close to the metro lines which are being connected. The area is needed to be appropriate and big enough for the selected facilities, and smooth terrain are better to establish the facilities. Operation building and facilities are being designed and areas are being selected which are appropriate and sufficient for entire operational scenarios and have control center. Requests of operator firm are being considered in the name of not having trouble during operation. The capacity of workshop and maintenance services is determined regarding to the serving to metro vehicles. Double entry workshop is generally being preferred. However, single entry workshop may be designed according to the field situation. As the main purpose of a metro depot area is serving to metro vehicles, the facilities are designed according to properties of metro vehicles. Settlement of the tracks, workshop and the other facilities are being done accordingly static and dynamic gauge, length of the vehicles and properties of appropriate track geometry. Proper highway connections are needed for the transportation of workers, materials and metro vehicles. Rood design is necessary in the state of emergency for the emergency response vehicles using the roods. In concordance with city, controlling over the noise and vibration are required by designing of depot area. Environmental impacts are being reduced by compatibility with city and environmental, keeping under control environmental noise and vibration, storage and disposal of wastes, treatment of waste water and ecological drainage systems. Access tracks provides security between metro line and depot area and in case of trouble it should be maintained the transportation with different routes. For the security of depot area, entry and exit points are needed to be controlled and protected with hedges and walls against intrusions. Access of people to track corridors should be limited for security of life. Traction transformer and appropriate catenary systems are being designed to meet the traction force of vehicles. Necessary facilities for signage systems are being established on behalf of controlling the vehicles and traffic stream. Required side slopes and retaining walls settlements are being done by selecting the proper material for infrastructure. Infrastructure design is needed to be developed by providing drainage system to control groundwater and storm water. The stability of soil could be provided by means of drainage system. Design is being shaped by selecting ballasted track or ballastless track according to the configuration of depot area. Generally, tracks in building are ballastless and tracks on soil are ballasted. Track geometry is the main factor on settlement of a depot area. Tracks are being settled by horizontal and vertical geometry design and selection of turnout geometry which are appropriate for depot area. These geometries are needed to be appropriate for vehicles and nonrestrictive for the capacity of metro depot area. Beside of these factors, regarding design criterions is required to be considered. Preferred conditions on track geometry are being provided thereby the design criterions of track geometry. Design of workshop can be completed by determining the necessity and area of workshop considering workshop design criterions. To keep under control environmental disturbance, environmental noise and environmental vibration criterions are needed to be considered. The final design project in the contract of Istanbul Uskudar-Umraniye-Cekmekoy metro line is being analyzed and its deficiencies are being disclosed in the light of design criterions and factors of metro depot. In place of this design, new conceptual design project is being developed. Metro depot area in the project has rugged terrain. Since the metro line is projected on intensive residential area of Istanbul, it is hard to find an appropriate land for depot area. Because of high level of expropriated price and long cases against expropriation, it is decided to continue to work on same land. Therefore, with the purpose of efficiently usage of the land, depot area is being designed by arranging land on two different elevations which are 110m and 120m. Design of the depot area is arranged by control center, signal system and track design for unmanned full-automatic operation system. Capacity of workshop building and depot area is expanded by integrating two workshop building in different areas. Daily cleaning services are taken to parking tracks. Number of vehicle parking lines is increased from 33 to 68. New design project is shaped regarding to properties of metro vehicles. Depot area entrance of subway lines is being separated for the purpose of preventing disorder and potential vehicle traffic. A new road design is being developed for the usage of fire trucks and trailer trucks. All facilities are connected with road. Level crossings are settled only at the entrances of workshop which vehicles controlled manually to avoid safety problems on unmanned full-automatic operation system. Ecological drainage systems, storage and disposal of wastes and equipment for restriction of environmental noise and vibration are designed. Access roads are planned to provide reliability of transportation between metro lines and depot area and also different routes. 800-meter-long test track is settled on access road. Razor wire and wire fences on high walls and monitor system are designed for the security of properties. For the security of life, wire fences are put to prevent access to tracks. A transformer and rigid catenary system are prepared to provide traction force for vehicles. A cogenerator system is added to design to put into service in case of power cut. Ballasted track system with UIC 54 (54 E 1) type rail and pre-stressed concrete sleeper are selected and settled. In the workshop building, superstructure should be as flange rail embedded in concrete. On ground floor of parking building, superstructure should be as ballastless track. Because of condition of terrain, it is contravened vertical geometry criterions. To prevent problems of this situation, shunting vehicle is needed to be proper to the vertical geometry. The minimum radius of horizontal curve as 80 m, the minimum radius of vertical curve as 2000 m, the maximum slope as 4% and turnout type as 1/7 R 140 are selected then design is prepared. By designing a metro depot area, requirements of the operating firm, properties of vehicles should be known before designing period and design is needed to be shaped accordingly. Unmanned full-automatic operation system should be selected for further efficiency. The speed and comfort in the depot area is restricted, and it is hard to find an appropriate land in urban area. Therefore, flexibility is needed on criterions and standards of track geometry.