This article has an aim to review the range and value of the underground resources of the Republic of Lithuania, to analyse the quality of local aggregates used for road building purposes and to recommend how local aggregates have to be used in order to give the max benefit for the state and public welfare. All the investigated in detail mineral resources of the Republic of Lithuania make almost one third of the value of the property the country. All the deposits of dolomite, gravel and sand explored in detail and used for road building, construction and other purposes occur under the less than 0.1% of the territory of the country. It was found that extraction and processing of local dolomite and gravel resources up to the max use of their potential properties for road building and other purposes saves over 700 mln LTL (over 200 mln EUR) per year in the cash flow of the Republic of Lithuania. It was determined that the physical and mechanical indices of asphalt concrete, containing crushed pebble and crushed dolomite, differ insignificantly. Based on the comparison to the normative requirements, local aggregate products consumption in asphalt concrete could be increased by extra 8-10% compared to the use of imported materials. It was recommended, that various subbase material mixtures from local, imported or mixed compositions were extra tested and analysed after at least of 350-700 freezing and thawing cycles corresponding to the average of 10-20 years subbase service under Lithuanian mild winter climate conditions with a high number of freezing and thawing cycles. The article gives a complex analysis of the research results versus the condition of the underground mineral resources and presents conclusions valuable for both geologists, road building scientists and engineers as well as decision makers finalising The Strategy for the Optimum Use of Lithuanian Underground Mineral Resources potential and implementing the Communications of the European Commission the Raw Materials Initiative -Meeting our Critical Needs for Growth and Jobs in Europe and Improving Framework Conditions for Extracting Minerals for the EU.

The main property of the railway system is infrastructure objects and rolling‐stock. Holding any kind of a property requires huge expenses and renovation investments. Intensive wearing of the rails on the track curves is observed. This problem is always topical in railways. In this article a possibility to decrease wear of rails on curves is analysed. The purpose of the authors’ research was to estimate the influence of rail wearing on the track widening and permissible deviations on curves when radius is less than 650 m. Also, to estimate the possibility to reduce railroad maintenance expenses associated with the change of the worn rails, when gauge on curves with radius less than 650 m is widened. For this reason in this article a mathematical model is presented. This model evaluates the influence of the gauge width on rail wearing on curves. An experiment was carried out on Lithuanian railway line curves. Results and analysis of the experimental research are presented in the article.

Factors influencing rail side wearing in the curves are described in the article. All of them are divided into uncontrolled, partially controlled and controlled. An experiment was carried out on Lithuanian railway line curves. The experiment proceeding conditions and the obtained results are presented. The object of the experimental research is 19 curves. The investigations of dynamic changes in rail wearing and in rail track geometrical parameters on curves were being carried out for one and a half year. The experimental results, associated with the railway gauge influence on rail wearing on curves are analyzed more precisely. Measurement results are described using mathematical dependences. According to the dependences it is possible to estimate the influence of gauge on rail side wearing on curves.

Abstract. The switch is the most complicated and expensive component of a superstructure of the railway track. It requires particular attention and maintenance. The lifetime of the switch depends on its operating conditions and on a lifetime of its separate components, mostly the tongue and the frog. Defects of these two components emerge considerably earlier than that of the others. Reliable, uninterrupted and safe railway traffic depends on condition of the switch components. Condition of the switch components depends on their maintenance and determination and elimination of the defects in time. A very important task is to assure qualitative, long-lasting and cost-efficient switch appliance. In order to realize these objectives it is necessary: to improve the switch construction; to use materials that should have improved physical and mechanical characteristics for the manufacture of the switch; to improve organization and performance of the switch maintenance and repair applying modern techniques and methods. In order to determine dependence of load amount on tongue, frog and stock rail wear, analysis of technical and running conditions of replaced switches in the stations of Lithuanian railway lines in 2002, 2003 and 2005, is presented in the article. Authors' purpose is: to determine wear reasons of switch components; to examine load amount dependence on tongue, frog and stock rail wear and to submit the suggestions on improving the switch construction, installation and maintenance in order to increase the lifetime of the switch.

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