:

Load Transfer
 Important Functions of Ballast
 To transfer and distribute the load form sleepers to a
larger area of formation.

 To provide elasticity and resilience to track for getting

proper riding comfort .

 To provide necessary resistance to track for

longitudinal lateral stability .

 To provide effective drainage to track.

 To provide effective means of maintaining evenness

and alignment of track
Standard Ballast Profile
 Advantage of Traditional Ballasted Track
Advantage
• Relatively low construction costs.
• High elasticity.
• High maintainability at relatively low costs.
• High noise absorption.
 Disadvantage of Traditional Ballasted
Track
Disadvantage
• Over time, track tends to ‘float’, in both longitudinal and
lateral direction, as a result of non linear, irreversible
behaviour of the materials.
• Limited non-compensated lateral acceleration in curves, due
to limited lateral resistance offered by the ballast.
• Ballast can be churned up at high speeds, causing serious
damage to the rails and wheels.
• Reduced permeability due to contamination, grinding down of
ballast and transfer of fine particles from sub grade.
• Ballast is relatively heavy, leading to an increase in costs of
building bridges and viaducts, if they are to carry continuous
ballasted track.

• ballasted track is relatively high, this direct consequences on

tunnel diameter and access points.
 Advantage of Ballastless Track
• Reduced Height
• Lower maintenance requirement and hence,
higher availability for train operation
• Increased service life
• Lack of suitable ballasted material
• A requirement for track to cause(even) less
noise and vibration nuisance
• Ballastless tracks are the good options for high speed
heavy haul trains; but on the other hands they are
costly also.
PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF
PERMANENT-WAY

12
 rails

Sleepers
Ballast

Function Embankment
•Support & guide vehicles running on it 13
•Conventional Track
•Consists of two “Rails” located at a fixed distance apart
•Called “Gauge”
•The Gauge of a track is the distance between inner edges of the
heads of rails in track, measured at 16mm below the top surface
of the rail.
14
Rails

Rails are members of the track laid in two parallel lines to provide
on our continuous and land surface for the movement of
Trains.

Function of rails

(a) Provide a continuous and level surface

(b) Provide a pathway which is smooth and less friction
(c) Lateral guide for the wheels
(d) Bear changes due to vertical loads etc.
(e) Transfers to formation through sleepers on wider area.

15
16
Coning of wheels – The distance between the inside edges of
wheel flanges is generally kept less than the gauge. Gap is
about 38 mm on Either side. Normally the tyre is absolutely
ahead centre on the head of the rail, as the wheel is coned to
keep it in this central position automatically. These wheel are
coned at a slope

Theory of coning:- On a level track, as soon as the axle moves

towards one rail, the diameter of the wheel tread over the rail
increases, while It decreases over the other rail. This prevents
to further movement And axle retreats back to its original
position ( with equal dia or both rails and equal pressure on
both rails).

17
• Advantages of coning of the wheels are :-
1. To reduce the wheel and tear of wheel flange
and rails which due
• To rubbing action of flanges with inside to
cess of the rail head.
2. To provide a possibility of lateral movement.
Sleepers

Sleepers are transverse ties that are laid to support the rails. They
Have an important role in the track as they transmit the wheel load
From the rails to the ballast.

Functions and requirement of sleepers

(a) Holding the rails to their correct gauge alignment
(b) Giving a firm and ever support to the rails
(c) Transfering the load evenly from rails to a wider area of the ballast.
(d) Providing longitudinal and lateral stability the permanent way.

Sleeper density and spacing of sleepers

Sleeper density is the number of sleeper per rail length. It is M +X
Specified on where
M– length of the rail

19
 Sleeper Density

• M+4 low density traffic < 10 GMT & D & E

routes
• M+7
– M is the rail length for 13 m rail length M+7 =20
• For Long Welded Track 1540 sleepers per Km
or 1660 sleepers per Km

20
Concrete Sleeper
Pre-Stressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC)

21
 REQUIREMENT OF SLEEPER
• IT SHOULD PROVIDE EASY MEANS OF MAINTAINABILITY

• HANDLING OF RAILS, SLEEPER & FASTENING SHOULD BE EASY

• QUICK RESTORATION AFTER ACCIDENT IS POSSIBLE

• MATERIAL AND DESIGN IS AVAILABLE

• IT SHOULD HAVE ANTI THEFT AND ANTI-SABOTAGE QUALITY

• IT SHOULD BE OVERALL CHEAP

LOAD DISTRIBUTION FROM AXLE TO SLEEPERS
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• THE REACTION AT THE RAIL SEAT DEPENDS

UPON-------
– SLEEPERS SPACING
– AXLE LOADS
– SPEED OF TRAINS
– THE STANDARD OF MAINTENANCE OF TRACK
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• TO CALCULATE THE FORCES TO WHICH THE

CONCRETE SLEEPERS ARE SUBJECTED IS
COMPLICATED AND IS GENERALLY BASED ON
OBSERVATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND
MEASUREMENTS.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• FOR BG (22T AXLE LOAD), A WHEEL LOAD OF 11 T

AT THE RAIL TOP WILL CAUSE A VERTICAL SLEEPER
REACTION OF 6 T.
• FOR MG (14T AXLE LOAD), THIS VALUE IS 5 T.
THESE LOADS ARE AUGMENTED BY 150% TO CATER
FOR DYNAMIC AUGMENT FOR DESIGN PURPOSE.
CONDITION NO. 1 NO CENTRE BINDING

15 TONNE 15 TONNE
1750 MM

p
670MM
1040 MM 1040 MM
CONDITION NO. 2 WITH CENTRE BINDING

15 TONNE 15 TONNE
1750 MM

p’
p’
670MM
1040 MM 1040 MM
 CONDITION NO. 3 : Lateral load

13 TONNE
7 TONNE
1750 MM

p
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

CONDITION 2
1.237
CONDITION 3
B.M.

1.277
CONDITION 1
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• MAX. B.M. AT RAIL SEAT IS GOVERNED BY

CONDITION NO.1

• MAX. B.M. AT CENTRE IS GOVERNED BY

CONDITION NO.2

• CONDITION NO.3 DOES NOT GOVERN THE

MAX. B.M. AT ANY LOCATION AND HENCE
IS NOT CONSIDERED
SHAPE OF SLEEPER IN PLAN –

– SHOULD NOT ALLOW CONCENTRATION

OF THE BALLAST REACTION IN MIDDLE
HENCE TRAPEZOIDAL SHAPE

ADDITIONAL LATERAL RESISTANCE DUE

TO WEDGING ACTION
 SHAPE OF SLEEPER IN PLAN

•SLEEPER PROFILE IS TRAPEZOIDAL BECAUSE

IT IS HAVING MORE SECTION MODULUS COMPARED
TO RECTANGULAR SECTIONS WITH SAME CROSS
SECTIONAL AREA.

IT ALSO FECILITATE EASY DEMOULDING AND

MORE ROOM FOR HTS WIRES AT THE BOTTOM.
 ADVANTAGES OF PSC SLEEPERS

• HEAVY WEIGHT--PROVIDES LONGITUDINAL & LATERAL

STABILITY REQUIRED FOR LWR
• WITH ELASTIC FASTENING, IT CAN MAINTAIN GAUGE
AND ALIGNMENT PROPERLY, HENCE MORE SAFE
• FLAT BOTTOM –SUITES MECH. TAMPING
• COST EFFECTIVE
• DURABLE--IMMUNE TO TERMITE, FIRE, RUSTS, ETC.
• ANTI THEFT & ANTI-SABOTAGE
• SUITED FOR TRACK CIRCUITING
DISADVANTAGES OF PSC SLEEPERS

LAYING & HANDLING IS DIFFICULT AS IT IS HEAVY

DIFFICULT TO RESTORE TRAFFIC AFTER ACCIDENT
NOT AMENABLE TO MANUAL LAYING OR MAINT.
REQUIRES MORE BALLAST AND WIDER FORMATION
NO SCRAP VALUE- DIFFICULT TO DISPOSE
MAINTENANCE OF JOINT IS DIFFICULT
NOT UNIVERSAL --USE OF DIFF. TYPE OF SLEEPERS
 FUNCTIONS OF SLEEPER ASSEMBALY

• TRANSMIT AXLE LOAD OF VEHICLES TO

BALLAST PROPERLY

• HOLD
– GAUGE
– LEVEL
– ALIGNMENT

• PROVIDING LONGITUDINAL & LATERAL

STABILITY TO TRACK
 Fishplate
– To provide continuity across rail joint for the
movement of railway vehicles
– Rail ends are connected by “fishplates” & “fish
bolt”

37
FASTENINGS

• Fixing
arrangement for
Rails and
sleepers
• Various types
• Depending on
type of Rails &
Sleepers,

38
 FASTENING
• UIC ORE DEFINITION
– FASTENINGS OR FASTENING DEVICES ARE DESIGNED AS
THAT ASSEMBLY OF PARTS , ENSURING THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN RAILS AND SLEEPERS OR RAIL BEARERS IN THE
CASE OF TRADITIONAL TRACK LAYING SYSTEM OR WITH
SUBSTRUCTURE IN CASE THE TRACK IS LAID DIRECTLY ON
THE STRUCTURES OR ON THE TUNNEL BASE.
 FASTENING TYPES

• VARIOUS TYPES
–RAIL FREE
–RIGID
–ELASTIC
 FASTENING (FORCES)

• FORCES IN TRACK
– DOWNWARD FORCES: SLEEPER UNDER
LOAD,THERE WILL BE A TENDENCY OF GAP
BETWEEN RAIL AND FASTENING - FASTENING
PREVENTS THIS
– UPWARD FORCES: LOAD AWAY FROM
SLEEPER, TRACK TENDS TO LIFT UPWARD,GAP
BETWEEN RAIL AND SLEEPER – FASTENING
PREVENT THIS
 FASTENING (FORCES)

– ROTATION OF SLEEPERS: ROTATION OF SLEEPERS

ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS - FASTENING TO PREVENT THIS
– LATERAL FORCES: DUE TO PARASITIC MOTIONS AND
DUE TO LONGITUDINAL COMPRESSION(DURING
BUCKLING)– RAIL HAS TENDENCY TO MOVE LATERALLY
ON SLEEPER AND SOMETIME COMPLETE TRACK MOVE
LATERALLY-FASTENING SHOULD PROVIDE BUCKLING
STRENGTH AND TORSIONAL STRENGTH
 FASTENING (FORCES)

• LONGITUDINAL FORCES: CAUSED BY THERMAL

STRESSES,WAVE ACTION AND ADHESION
BETWEEN RAIL AND WHEEL.THESE FORCES MAY
CAUSE MOVEMENT OF RAIL OVER SLEEPER OR
MOVEMENT OF ENTIRE RAIL/SLEEPER
ASSEMBLY--FASTENING SHOULD PREVENT THIS.
DOWNWARD LOAD ON TOE OF RAIL CAUSED BY
ELASTIC FASTENING IS CALLED TOE LOAD.
 FASTENING (FORCES)

– VIBRATIONS- LOW FREQUENCY DUE TO

PARASITIC MOTION and VERY HIGH
FREQUENCY VIBRATIONS IN VERTICAL PLANE
DUE TO RAIL WHEEL INTERACTION 700 TO
1200 CPS AND AMPLITUDE OF 0.1 MM TO 0.3
MM WITH ACCELRATION OF 70 TO 100 g
EFFECTS OF VERY HIGH FREQUENCY
VIBRATIONS

– CAUSE OF FATIGUE FAILURE

– LOOSENING OF FASTENING
– LOOSENING OF BALLAST
– LOSS OF TOE LOAD
– EFFECT ON ROLLING STOCK
– RAIL CORRUGATION
THE FASTENING SHOULD ABSORB
AND DAMP THE HIGH ENERGY VIBRATIONS.
 ELASTIC FASTENING

• RAIL IS CONNECTED WITH SLEEPER THROUGH AN

ELASTIC MEDIUM, SUCH THAT IT ABSORBS ENERGY
OF VIBRATIONS AND DOES NOT ALLOW TO CAUSE
GAP BETWEEN RAIL AND SLEEPERS.
• THERE SHOULD BE DAMPED ELASTIC SUSPENSION
WITHOUT PLAY. THE FASTENING PERMITS THE
MOVEMENT OF RAIL WITHOUT CAUSING ANY GAP.
 TYPE OF ELASTIC FASTENING

• TYPE I – IN WHICH TOE LOAD IS DERIVED FROM

A FRICTIONAL GRIP OR NAILING EFFECT
• ERS, DS 18 AND MACBETH
• TYPE II – IN WHICH LOAD APPLICATION IS
OBTAINED THROUGH A SCREW THREAD
• HM, NABLA, VASSLOH
• TYPE III – IN WHICH THE LOAD IS
PREDETERMINED AT THE DESIGN STAGE
• PENDROL
 OBJECTIVES OF ELASTIC FASTENING

• ELASTIC RUBBER PAD

• ABSORBS SHOCKS AND DAMP OUT VIBRATIONS
• INCREASE FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE TO LONG. OR
LATERAL MOVEMENT OF RAIL.
• DISTRIBUTE LOAD UNIFORMLY OVER SLEEPER
• PROVIDE ELECTRIC INSULATION BETWEEN RAIL
AND SLEEPER
• REDUCE NOISE LEVEL
 MECHANISM

Weight of rail

Source of
Vibration
Vibration blocked by fastening
Rail spring
Fastening

Vibration absorbed by rubber pad

GRP Wt of
Sleeper sleeper

Ballast Vibration absorbed

By stone friction &
Spring action
MECHANISM

LOAD ENERGY
ABSORBED

ERC & GRP 60 %

BALLAST 25%

FORMATION 15%
 VOSSLOH FASTENING

Sleeper screw
in dowel Tension clamps

Guide plate

Rail Pad
 COMPARISION BETWEEN ELASTIC
FASTENING
TYPE II (BOLTED FASTENER) TYPE III ( CAST IN ANCHORAGE
FASTENER)
THREADED ELEMENT APPLYING ANCHORAGE FIXED AT THE TIME
FORCE TO A SPRING STEEL OF CASTING
ELEMENT
THREADED ELEMENT IS --------
REMOVABLE
RUBBER PAD BETWEEN RAIL RUBBER PAD BETWEEN RAIL AND
AND SLEEPER SLEEPER
TOE LOAD GENERATED BY NO SUCH PROVISION
TIGHTENING NUT
ADJUSTABLE TOE LOAD FIXED TOE LOAD
ALLOWS REPLACEMENT OF CASTING ANCHORAGES CANNOT
ALL THE COMPONENTS IN THE BE RENEWED
EVENT OF DAMAGE
OILING OF THREADS ONCE IN 3 NO NEED.FIT AND FORGET TYPE
YEARS
 REQUIREMENT OF TOE LOAD

• ERC MARK III HAS AV. TOE LOAD OF 1000 KG

UNDER 12 MM. DEFLECTION.
– THE AV. STATIC TOE LOAD =1000x4 =4000 KG.
ASSUMING 0.5 AS COEFF. OF FRICTION BETWEEN
RUBBER PAD AND RAIL, THE RAIL TO SLEEPER
RESISTANCE IS APPROX. 2000 KG.
– THIS IS > AV. SLEEPER TO BALLAST RESISTANCE ( 1000
KG.). SO THE CHANCES OF RELATIVE RAIL TO SLEEPER
MOVEMENT ARE LESS.
 WHY GREASING?

LOADED
CONDITION
AXLELOAD
22 Tons

FREE
CONDITION
FREE
CONDITION

TOE LOAD
TOE LOAD 850-1100Kg
850-1100Kg

Minimum Maximum Minimum

Compressive Compressive Compressive
stress stress stress
 WHY GREASING?

Torsional Force Figure shows the torsional

force exerted due to
corrosion.

ERC

ERC

CORROSION

LINER
Torsional Force
INSERT

PSC
 WHY GREASING?

CORROSION

End of function life Jamming of ERC

Rate of Reduction of strength

Loss of Toe Load
corrosion

End of function Life

Life cycle Time

 RUBBER PAD

• FUNCTIONS
– DAMPING OF HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATIONS
– VIBRATIONALLY ISOLATE RAIL
– PREVENT GAP
THE MECHANISM FOR ACHIEVING THIS IS – MOLECULES
BROUGHT CLOSER UNDER FORCE, ENERGY DISSIPATION
WHEN FORCE IS REMOVED.
DAMPING IS BEST WHEN RESTRAINING FORCE IS
PREPORTIONAL TO AMPLITUDE OF VIBRATION.
 RUBBER PAD

• COMMON TYPE OF PADS

– PIMPLE TYPE PADS
– GROOVED TYPE PADS

• THICKNESS 6 MM
 LOAD DEFLECTION CHARACTERSTICS
25
SOLID PAD
20
PRESSURE ON RAIL(T)

15
GROOVED PAD
10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
DEFLECTION 1/100 MM
 RUBBER PAD

• MATERIAL
– NATURAL RUBBER
– RIBBED SMOKED SHEET
– BLEND OF STYRENE RUBBER/ POLY
BUTADIENE RUBBER
 RUBBER PAD

• THE TOP SURFACE OF RUBBER PAD, WHICH

COMES DIRECTLY IN CONTACT WITH RAIL,
EXECUTE VERY HIGH FREQUENCY 1000 Hz (LOW
AMPLITUDE 0.05- 0.1 mm) VIBRATIONS.
• WHILE THE BOTTOM SURFACE, WHICH COMES IN
CONTACT WITH SLEEPER, EXECUTE LOW
FREQUENCY 20 Hz VIBRATIONS.
 RUBBER PAD

• FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF RUBBER

PAD , MATERIAL SHOULD BE WITH VARYING
ELASTIC PROPERTIES.
• SO THE TOP OF RUBBER PAD SHOULD HAVE HIGHER
MODULUS OF ELASTICITY( HARDER) WHILE
BOTTOM SHOULD BE OF SOFTER MATERIAL.
 LINERS

– DISTRIBUTION OF TOE LOAD OVER LARGER AREA

ON RAIL FOOT
– ALLOW FLEXIBILITY FOR USE OF DIFFERENT RAIL
SECTION ON THE SAME/ COMMON SLEEPER
– PERMITS GAUGE ADJUSTMENT IN CURVED
TRACK AND CORRECTION IN ALIGNMENT
– PROVIDE INSULATION BETWEEN RAIL AND
INSERT
 LINERS

• THE REQUIREMENTS OF LINER

– THE LINER SHOULD HAVE PROPER SLOPE TO
MATCH WITH RAIL FOOT SLOPE
– THE VERTICAL LEG OF LINER SHOULD FIT
PROPERLY BETWEEN RAIL AND MCI INSERT TO
MAINTAIN GAUGE
– IT SHOULD BE EASY TO FIX & MANUFACTURE
 INSERTS

• IT IS EMBEDDED IN CONCRETE AT THE TIME

OF CASTING
• THIS IS ANCHORAGE FOR ERC
• GRIPS THE CLIP EFFECTIVELY
• PROVIDES LATERAL SUPPORT TO RAIL
• SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE PULL STRENGTH
(MORE THAN 10T)
 INSERTS

• TOE LOAD IS FUNCTION OF DIA. OF HOLE

AND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APEX OF HOLE
AND TOP OF SHOULDER
• CORRECT POSITIONING IS IMPORTANT
– VERTICAL POSITIONING FOR TOE LOAD
– LATERAL POSITIONING FOR GAUGE
• THE GAP BETWEEN TOE AND RAIL SEAT
SURFACE SHOULD BE 8 MM.
MAINTENANCE OF RAIL JOINTS ON CONCRETE
SLEEPERS
• RAIL JOINTS TO HAVE 1 M. LONG FISHPLATE
• RUBBER PAD OF THE JOINT & SHOULDER
SLEEPERS TO BE RENEWED EVERY YEAR
• CRIB & SHOULDER BALLAST AROUND THE JOINT
TO BE SCREENED EVERY YEAR
• THE FISH PLATE SHOULD BE GROUND TO
ACCOMMODATE ELASTIC RAIL CLIP / PROVIDE J-
CLIP
Thank You