Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering
BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Name of Member: Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil EngineeringAcronym:
Telephone:
Address: Thakurova 7, CZ-166 29 Praha 6, Czech Republic
The mission of the Department of Railway Structures can be divided into two key directions:
- Education of future experts in the field of designing, preparing and implementing railway structures and urban rail transport structures in accordance with the latest trends in the field.
- Research, development and application of innovative solutions for the construction of railway structures, their implementation and maintenance.
Pedagogical activities include supervising bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral theses focused on design, construction technology and the development of new structural and material solutions for railway construction elements.
The professional activities are focused on diagnostics of the behavior of railway superstructure and substructure, laboratory verification of the effectiveness of new structures and elements of railway superstructure and substructure, support and implementation of test sections with progressive structures on railway lines, tram lines and metro lines, consulting activities in the field of designing railway and tram lines, measurement and evaluation of noise and vibrations from railway and tram transport.
Railway Superstructure & Substructure Engineering
Railway Infrastructure Diagnostics
Geotechnical Risk Monitoring
Intelligent Railway Monitoring Systems
High-Speed Rail Track Design
Georadar (GPR) Substructure Evaluation
Mechanically Stabilized Layers & Geosynthetics
Innovative Track Systems & Materials (e.g., polymeric sleepers, steel slag reuse)
Noise & Vibration Measurement in Rail Transport
Load-Bearing Capacity & Structural Performance Testing
Examples of current or recent activities:
- Railway infrastructure Condition Assessment Using Remote and geometry sensor net (2026-2027)
- Comprehensive utilization of steel slag during construction of transport infrastructural projects (2025-2028)
- Intelligent railway infrastructure monitoring system (2024-2025)
- Diagnostics and quality evaluation of railway substructure with the help of georadar (2021-2024)
- Adaptation of the French method of evaluation of track substructure for high-speed lines into the Czech Republic conditions (2021-2023)
- Development passportisation and monitoring system for the management of geotechnical risks (2018-2021)
- Intelligent composite anchoring element (2016-2019)
- Operational diagnostics of the qualitative indicators of tracks rail by measuring of the spatial deformation (2014-2016)
- Centre for Effective and Sustainable Transport Infrastructure – CESTI (2013-2019)
- Continual Monitoring of the Load-bearing Capacity of the Railway Tracks (2011-2013)
- Centre for Integrated Design of Advanced Structures – CIDEAS (2005-2011)
- Innovative Track Systems – INNOTRACK, FP6 (2006-2009)
Examples of recent publications:
Horníček, L.; Rakowski, Z.; Kawalec, J.; Pospíšil, J.: The role of mechanically stabilized base on the performance of top asphalt layer, In: EUROGEO 8 – 8th European Conference on Geosynthetics. Les Ulis Cedex A: EDP Sciences – Web of Conferences, 2025. E3S Web of Conferences. vol. 644. ISSN 2267-1242.
Pospíšil, J.; Horníček, L.: Analysis of Static Plate Load Test Results According to Czech, French, and German Methodologies, Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology. 2025, 12(2), ISSN 2196-7210.
Lojda, V.; van Belkom, A.: Mechanics and Novel Designs of Polymeric Railway Sleepers in Track Structure, In: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance. Edinburgh: Civil-Comp Press, 2024. Civil-Comp Conferences. vol. CCC 7. ISSN 2753-3239.
Horníček, L.; Rakowski, Z.; Pospíšil, J.; Kawalec, J.: Optimized Sub-Ballast Structure for High-Speed Line with Asphalt Layer and Multiaxial Geogrid, In: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance. Edinburgh: Civil-Comp Press, 2024. Civil-Comp Conferences. vol. CCC 7. ISSN 2753-3239.
Křečková, M.; Krejčiříková, H.: Monitoring of shallow-grooved tramway crossings, Communications – Scientific Letters of the University of Žilina. 2023, 25(2), D31-D38. ISSN 1335-4205.
Horníček, L.; Rakowski, Z.; Kawalec, J.; Kwiecien, S.: Dynamic Laboratory Testing of Mechanically Stabilized Layers for Railway Applications, In: Recent Trends in Wave Mechanics and Vibrations. Springer, Cham, 2023. p. 581-588. Mechanisms and Machine Science. vol. 125. ISSN 2211-0984. ISBN 978-3-031-15757-8.