Transportation Engineering II�(CVL 007)�

Syllabus

• Introduction
• Railway Geometric
• Station and Yards
• Airport Engineering
• Harbours and Docks

Text Books: Railway Engineering by Saxena & Arora

Airport Engineering by Rangwala

Harbour, Docks and Tunnel Engineering by R.Srinivasan

Unit 1: Introduction

• Development and organization of Indian Railways. Modern trends in railways: MAGLEV, TUBE, METRO. Permanent way: Sub-grade, formation, embankment and cutting, track drainage. Rails: Rail gauges, types of rails, defects in rails, rail failure, creep of rail, Coning of Wheels, Tilting of Rails, Rail Joints, Creep of Rails. Rail Fastenings: Fish plates, spikes, chairs, keys, bearing plates. Sleepers : Timber, steel, cast iron, concrete and prestressed concrete sleepers, manufacturing of concrete sleepers, sleeper density, Adzing of Sleepers,. Ballast: Ballast materials, size of ballast, screening of ballast, specification of ballast, tests on ballast.

​

“Transportation is regarded as an index of economic, social and commercial progress of the country”.

Modes of Transport

• Land transport
• Water transport
• Air transport

​

Two major means of land transport are Roads and railways.

Advantages of Railways

Political Advantages

• Railway have joined people of different castes, religions customs and traditions.
• With adequate network of railway central administration has become easy and effective
• Role of railway during emergencies in mobilising troops and war equipment has been very significant.
• Railway have helped in mass migration of people.

​

Social Advantages

• Feeling of isolation has been removed from the inhabitants of Indian villages.
• The social outlook of the masses has been broadened through railway journeys.
• Railway has made it easier to reach religious importance
• Provide safe and convenient mode of transport for the country

​

Economic advantages

• Mobility of people has increased.
• Transport food and clothes during famines.
• Transport raw material to the industries
• Provide employment to millions of people.
• Land values increased due to industrial development.
• Price stabilisation is possible.

​

​

Techno-economic advantages

Cost saving in transportation of long haul bulk traffic.

Energy efficient (1/7 fuel used as compared to road sector)

Environment friendliness

Higher Safety (fatal accidents 1/10 of road sector in India)

​

Development of Indian Railway(IR)

• In 19 century before the introduction of railways, India was a country with extremely poor means of communications.
• In1844 the first proposals for the construction of railway on India was submitted to East India Company
• In 1853 first railway line between Bombay to Thana was opened.
• In 1905 Railway Board was established with one president and two members.
• In 1939 total route kilometrage of India was 65,850 kms.

First Five Year Plan (1951-1956)

• out of total plan expenditure of Rs. 2378 crores the railway were allotted only 257 crores
• Rehabilitation of railway assets was main objective.
• Industries boosted up their locomotive production during these years
• Considerably helped India in achieving self sufficiency

Second five year plan (1956-1961)

• Second five year plan had a provision of Rs. 896 crores for the development of Indian railways out of total expenditure of Rs. 4800 crores.
• Many new lines were opened, and new locomotives and coaches were placed on line.
• Considerable progress was made in electrification of railway.

​

Third five year plan (1961-1966)

• Second five year plan had a provision of Rs. 1470 crores for the development of Indian railways out of total expenditure of Rs. 7500 crores.
• Plan provided acquisition of 2070 locomotives, 157133 wagons and 7879 coaching vehicles.
• Made a provision for electrification about 2400 route kms.
• A length of 2400 kms new lines was also constructed.

​

​

Fourth five year plan (1969-1974)

• With objective of modernisation of railway.
• Improving the operational efficiency of the system by more intense utilisation.

Fifth five year plan (1974-1978)

Development of rapid transport system in metropolitan cities.

A sum of 2200 crores were allotted out of total 39300 crores.

​

Sixth five year plan (1980-1985)

• Main objective was the limited resources of the railways should be used for rehabilitation of assets.
• The stress was to use existing resources in best possible manner for getting high operating efficiency.

​

​

​

Seventh five year plan (1985-1990)

• Provided for an outlay of Rs. 12334 crores.
• Augmentation of capacity for manufacturing of passenger coaches, electric multiple units and electric locomotives.
• Introduction of computer based freight operation information system and computerisation of passenger reservation.

​

Eighth five year plan (1992-1997)

Provided an outlay of 27202 crores.

Emphasis on modernisation of system to reduce operating cost and improve reliability.

Convert a length of 6000 km of M.G and N.G tracks to broad gauge.

Ninth five year plan (1997-2002)

Outlay of 45413 crore (14.1% of total plan)

Generation of rail transport capacity to handle increased freight and passenger traffic.

Completion of replacement, rehabilitation and renewal of over aged assets.

To continue with the policy of Uni-guage throughout the country.

Introduction of 4000 H.P. diesel locomotives and 6000 H.P. electric locomotives.

​

Organization of Indian Railway (IR)

• Biggest public undertaking
• Capital-at-charge of about Rs 560,000 million.
• The executive authority in connection with the administration of railway vests with Central Government and the same has been delegated to Railway Board as per Indian Railway Act 1890 and Indian Tramway act of 1816.

Railway Board (RB)

• RB exercise all powers of central government in respect of regulation, construction, maintenance, and operation of railway.
• RB consists of a chairman, a financial commissioner, and five other functional members.
• Chairman reports to Minister for railway.
• The member of RB are separately in charge of matters relating to staff, civil, electrical, mechanical and traffic.

• Presently IR is divided into 17 zones.
• Each Zonal railway is administered by a general manager(GM) assisted by additional GM and HOD of different disciplines, namely, civil engineering, mechanical, operating, commercial, accounts, security, signals and telecommunications, electrical, personnel, medical, etc.
• Zonal railway is further divided into 3 to 6 divisions.
• Each division work under control of Divisional railway manager (DRM).

• There are divisional officers in charge of each discipline namely, divisional superintending engineer (DSE) or Divisional Engineer for civil engineering etc.
• DSE is normally the head of the unit in the division.
• Under each DSE, there are 2 to 3 divisional engineers (DENs)
• Each DEN is assisted by 2 to 3 assistant engineers (AENs).
• An AEN has about 400 integrated track km under his charge.
• The AENs are assisted by permanent way inspectors.

Modern trends in railways

• MAGLEV
• TUBE
• METRO

• MAGLEV Trains: The technology of such trains is based on principle of magnetic repulsion.
• MAGLEV trains runs on U-shaped guide way. The train as well as the guide way will be equipped with magnets having south and north pole arranged alternately.

Tube railways :- The railway provided underground at a greater depth of about 18 m or more (up to 52 m) are called tube railways.� This system of railways is so called as the section of the underground tunnels, carrying the track, is to avoid the interference of the tracks with water and gas pipes, sewerage systems and oil or drainage pipes, etc� Some important features of the tube railways are given below :-

• The railways stations have to be of cylindrical form.

• Escalators or moving stair cases are to be constructed to reach the tube railways.
• Only electric traction to be used to avoid the smoke and ventilation problems.
• Automatic signaling system is to be used.

Such a mechanism of the train is to be used that it cannot start until all the doors are closed, and it automatically stops, if the signal is at ‘STOP’ position.

This system of railways is used by the London Post Office in transporting mails through a small diameter tunnel with automatic control without any driver.

​

A Metro or rapid transit system is a public transport system in an urban area with high capacity, high frequency not needing timetables, is fast and is segregated from other traffic. Operating on an exclusive right of way, rapid transit systems are typically grade separated and located either in underground tunnels (subways) or elevated above street level (elevated transit line).

Important Technical Terms

There are many important technical terms concerning to Railways, but a few terms which are of immediate concern are only discussed bellow:-

1. Railway track:-A track formed of rails of iron or steel along which trains are driven is known as railway track.

In general, the term railway also includes all lines of rails, sidings or branches.

2. Rolling stock:- The locomotives, passenger coaches and goods wagons which roll or run on railway tracks constitute rolling stock.

​

3. Locomotive:- The mechanical device which transfers chemical energy of fuel into mechanical energy in the form of motion is called locomotive.� The fuel used in the locomotives may be in the form of water and coal, diesel or electricity.

4. Wagons :- The goods compartments are called wagons. This term applies only to good stock.
5. Coaches or vehicles :- The passenger�compartments are called coaches or vehicles. This term applies only to coaching stock.

​

​

6. Siding: when a branch starting from main line terminates at the dead end with a buffer stop is known as siding.

7. Ballast: is the granular material packed under and around the sleepers to transfer the loads from the sleepers to subgrade.

​

TYPES OF GAUGES PREVALENT IN INDIA

The different gauges prevalent in India are of the following these types :-

1. Broad gauge (1676),
2. Meter gauge (1000),
3. Narrow gauge (762 mm & 610 mm).

In India, efforts are being made to convert all N.G. and M.G. lines to B.G. lines on important sections as and when funds are available.

​

Permanent Way

Permanent way: The combination of rails, fitted on sleepers with the help of fixtures and fastenings and resting on ballast and subgrade is called the railway track or permanent way.

​

​

​

Track Cross-section

Track Cross-section

Track Components

• Gauge: defined as the minimum distance between two rails. Indian Railway follows this practice.

​

​

• Rails act as girders to transmit the wheel load to the sleepers.
• Rails are joined in series by welding a few of them (5 of them) and the welded lengths are joined by fish plates and bolts.

​

• Rails are fixed to sleepers by different types of fixtures and fastenings (chairs, bearing plates, fish plates, fish bolts, spikes etc.).
• Sleepers hold the rails in proper position with respect to their proper tilt, gauge and level and transmit the load from rails to the ballast. These sleepers are suitably spaced, packed and boxed (the process of filling the ballast around the sleepers) with ballast. The typical length of a BG sleeper is 2.7 m.
• Ballast is a high quality crushed stone with desired specifications placed directly below the sleeper.

​

​

​

• Ballast distributes the load over the formation and holds the sleepers in position and also functions as drainage layer.
• Formation is the compacted and prepared subgrade which is the part of embankment or cutting
• Natural subgrade is the soil in the natural ground on which the track rests.
• Ballast cushion: The depth of ballast below the bottom of the sleeper, normally measured under rail seat is termed as ballast cushion.

​

• Ballast shoulder: Ballast provided beyond the sleeper edge is termed as ballast shoulder (shown as C in Fig., typically 0.35 m in a BG track)
• Ballast Base: It is the bottom width of ballast-bed (typically 4.4 m in a BG track).
• Formation width: It is the top width of embankment or bottom width of cutting (Typically 6.1 m in a BG track)
• Cess width: Width of formation beyond the toe of ballast is termed as cess width.

​

Conventional track structure

REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL PERMANENT WAY

The following are the principal requirements of an ideal permanent way or of a good railway track :-

1. The gauge of the permanent way should be correct and uniform.
2. The rail should be in proper level in straight portion. Proper amount of super elevation should be provided to the outer rail above the inner rail on curved portion of the track.
3. The permanent way should be sufficiently strong against lateral forces.

​

​

​

4. The curves, provided in the track, should be properly designed.
5. An even and uniform gradient should be provided through out the length of the track.
6. The tractive resistance of the track should be minimum.
7. The design of the permanent way should be such that the load of the train is uniformly distributed on both the rails so as to prevent unequal settlement of the track.
8. All the components parts such as rails, sleepers, ballast, fixtures and fastenings, etc. should satisfy the design requirements.

​

​

9. All the points and crossings, laid in the permanent way, should be properly designed and carefully constructed.
10. It should be provided with proper drainage facilities so as to drain off the rain water quickly away from the track.
11. It should be provided with safe and strong bridges coming in the alignment of the track.
12. It should be so constructed that repairs and renewals of any of its portion can be carried out without any difficulty.

​

​

Length of Indian Railway Track�

• Route kilometer: this is the route length of railway between origins and destinations
• Running track kilometer: This is the length of running track on a route. On a route with double track, the running track kilometer is about twice the route kilometer.
• Total track kilometer is the physical length of track available. This length is arrived at after giving due weightage for the length of track on track junctions, sidings, etc., and adding it to the running track kilometer.

​

Length of Indian Railway Track�

*As on 31^st march 2004

Selection of Guages

1.Cost of construction

• There is marginal increase in the cost of earthwork, rails, sleepers, ballast, and other track items with gauge.
• The cost of station buildings, platforms, signals, bridges, tunnels and culverts etc., is same more or less for all gauges.
• There is little proportional in the acquisition of land.
• The cost of rolling stock is independent of the guage used for same volume of traffic.

​

2.Volume and nature of traffic.

• For heavier loads and high speed, the wider guage are required because subsequently the operating cost per tonne-km is less for higher carrying capacity.

3.Speed of movement

• Speed is a function of dia. of wheel, which in turn limited by the guage. (wheel diameter = 0.75 x Gauge).

4.Development of areas

• Narrow guages can be used for thinly populated area by joining under developed area with developed or urbanised area.

5.Physical features of the country

• Use of narrow guage is warranted in hilly regions where broad and meter guage are not possible due steep gradients and sharp curves.

​

Rails

The rails on the track can be considered as steel girders for the purpose carrying axle loads. Flat footed rails are mostly used in Indian railways.

Functions of Rails

• Provide hard, smooth and unchanging surface for the passage of heavy moving loads with minimum friction steel rails and steel wheels.
• The rail material should be such that it gives minimum wear to avoid replacement and failure.

• Rail transmit loads to the sleepers and consequently reduce pressure on ballast and formation below.

Composition of rail steel

For ordinary rails

Carbon (C) - 0.55 to 0.68 percent

Manganese (Mn) - 0.65 to 0.9 percent

Silicon (Si) - 0.05 to 0.3 percent

Sulphur (S) – 0.05 percent or below

Phosphorus (P) – 0.06 percent or below

For rails at points and crossings

Carbon (C) - 0.5 to 0.6 percent

Manganese (Mn) - 0.95 to 1.25 percent

Silicon (Si) - 0.05 to 0.2 percent

Sulphur (S) – 0.06 percent or below

Phosphorus (P) – 0.06 percent or below

​

​

Requirements of rails

• They should be of proper composition of steel and should be manufactured by open hearth or duplex process.
• The vertical stiffness should be high enough to transmit the load to several sleepers underneath.
• Rails should be capable of withstanding lateral forces. Large width of head and foot endows the rail with high lateral stiffness.
• The head should be sufficiently deep to allow for an adequate margin of vertical wear.
• Web of the rail should be sufficiently thick to bear the load coming on it and should provide adequate flexural rigidity in horizontal plane.

• Foot should be wide enough so that rails are stable so that rails are stable against overturning especially on curves.
• Bottom of the head of rail and top of the foot should be so shaped as to enable the fish plate to transmit the vertical load efficiently from head to the foot at rail joints.
• The centre of gravity of the rail section must lie approximately at mid height so that the maximum tensile and compressive stresses are equal.
• The tensile strength of the rail piece should not be less than 72 kg/mm².

Types of rail sections

• Double headed rails(D.H Rails)
• Bull headed rails(B.H rails)
• Flat footed rails(F.F rails)

In the beginning, the rails used were double headed(D.H) of a dumb-bell section. The idea behind using of these rails was that when the head was worn out in course of time, the rail can be inverted or reused. But the experience shows that such indentation are formed in lower table due to which smooth running over that surface at the top was impossible.

The next evolution was that of a bull headed rail in which the head is made little thicker and stronger than the lower part, by adding more metal to it, so that even after wear, it can withstand stresses.

In designing flat footed rails it was initially thought that flat footed rail can be fixed to the sleepers directly and would eliminate the need for chairs and keys required for the bull headed rails. However it was observed that heavy train load cause the foot of the foot of rail to sink into wooden sleeper, to remedy this steel plates are used between the sleeper and the rails at joint and other important places.

Standard rail sections & Rail length

Details of standard rail sections

90 R rail section was considered adequate only for annual traffic of about 10 gross million Tonne (GMT) speeds upto 100 kmph and service life upto 20 to 25 yrs.

52 MR (i.e.52 kg/m) rails are suitable for use of speed of 130 kmph and traffic density of 20 to 25 GMT.

60 MR (i.e. 60 kg/m) rails are suitable for use upto a speed of 160 kmph and traffic density of about 35 GMT.

• Hogged rails: due to battering action of wheels over the end of rails, the rail get bent down and deflected at the ends, this hogging is due to loose packing under the joint and/or loose fish plate. Can be removed by

Cropping, replacing, welding and dehogging.

• Kinks in rails: when the ends of adjoining rails move slightly out of position , “shoulders” or “kinks” are formed. Kinks formed due to loose packing at joints, defects in guage, and alignment, defects in cross level at joints, uneven wear of rail head, where kinks are formed at joints .

​

​

• Buckling of rails: buckling means track has gone out of its original position or alignment due to prevention of expansion of rails in hot weather on account of temperature variations. Causes are following
• When expansion gap is not sufficient
• The fish plate are bolted so tight that no slip is allowed.
• Due to presence of longer welded rail on weak tracks.

Wear on rails

• Wear is one of the prominent defects of rails. Due to heavy loads concentrated stresses exceeds the elastic limit resulting in metal flow; on the gap or joints the ends are battered and at the curves the occurrence of skidding, slipping and striking of wheel flanges with rails results in wear and tear on rails.

Classification of wear

• On the basis of location
• On sharp curves
• On gradients
• On approach to stations
• In coastal area etc.
• On the basis position of wear
• On the top of rail
• At the end of rail
• on the sides of the head

Methods to reduce wear

• When wear exceeds the permissible limit (5 % of the total weight section) the rail must be replaced.
• Use of special alloy steel at the location where wear is more.
• Reduction in number of joints by welding
• Regular tightening of fish bolts and packing of ballasts.
• Welding and dehogging of battered ends in time also the wear.

​

• Maintenance of correct gauge will reduce the side wear in particular.
• Lubricating of the gauge face of outer rail on curve, will also reduce the wear.
• Interchanging of inner and outer rails and changing face at curve will reduce the wear.
• Application of heavy mineral oil, in case of corrosion of rail metal under adverse atmospheric conditions, reduce the wear of rail.

Creep of rails

• Longitudinal movement of rail with respect to sleepers in a track is called creep.

Indication of creep

• Closing of expansion spaces at joints
• Marks on flanges and web of rails made by spike head, by scraping or scratching at rail slide.

Theories of creep

1. Wave action or wave theory:

Wave motion is set up by moving loads of wheels.

The vertical reverse curve ABC is formed in the rail ahead of wheels, resulting from the rail deflection under the load.

2. Drag (or) Dragging theory:

• Backward thrust on driving wheels of locomotive of train push the rail off track backward.
• Mean while other wheel of locomotive and vehicles push the rail in the direction of travel.
• Since drag effect is more as explained in Wave Action Theory resultant creep of rails in forward direction.

3.. Percussion Theory:

This theory states that the creep is due to impact of wheels at the rail end ahead at joints. Hence as and when wheel leave the trailing rail and strike the facing rail end at each joint it pushes the rail in forward direction resulting in creep.

​

​

4. Starting, accelerating, Slowing down (or) stopping of a train:

• Backward thrust of the engine driving wheels push the rails backward when a train is starting and accelerating.
• When slowing down or stop the vehicle braking forces are push the rail forward.

​

5. Unbalanced Traffic:

1. Single line:
1. Heavy equal loads pass in both direction, the creep is balanced. If not creep takes place in the heavy load direction.

b) Double line:

• Since loads are in unidirectional creep occurs in both directions.

​

Factors effecting the magnitude & direction of creep.

• Alignment of track: Creep is more on curves than on tangent tracks.
• Grade of track: More in case of steep curves, particularly while train moving downward with heavy loads.
• Type of rails: older rail have more tendency than new one.
• Direction of heaviest traffic: In heavier load moving direction occurs more creep.

​

Effects of creep

• Most serious effect of creep is being buckling of track.
• Common effects of creep:
• Sleepers move out of square and out of position, affects the gauge and alignment of track. As sleepers move surface is disturbed results uncomfortable riding.
• When joints are opened out beyond the permissible stress in bolts and fish plates tendency to occurrence of failure in them.
• Rails ends also battered due to occurrence of excessive gaps at joints. While at other places , joints are jammed and prevent required expansion due to thermal stresses.

Contd..

• Points and crossings get distorted, its too difficult to set them to correct gauge and alignment. Movement of switches is made difficult and interlocking is thrown out of gear.

​

• Its difficult to fix the removed rail at proper position during repair works since the time gap becomes too short or too long due to creep.
• Smashing of fish plates, bolts, bending of bars, kinks at joints of rails and forging of ballast ahead, common effects of creep.
• If creep is not prevented in time it will results derailment.

​

Remedies of creep:

1. Pulling back the rails:
• pull back the rail to its original position. By means of crow bars and hooks provided through the fish bolts wholes of rails
• By considering the position of joints relative to sleepers and both rails should be in respective position.
2. Provision of anchors :
• By use of anchors and sufficient crib ballast.
• For creep 7.5 cm-15 cm 4 anchors per rail
• For creep 22.5 to 25 cm 6 anchors.
3. Use of steel sleepers:
• Sleepers should be made up of good material with proper fitting. Sleepers should provide good grip with ballast to resist the movement of sleepers. Increase in no. of sleepers.

​

​

​

​

Coning of Wheels

Coning of Wheels

​

• The wheels of locomotive are not flat but sloped or coned at a slope of 1 in 20.
• The distance between inside edges of wheel flanges (B) is generally kept less than the gauge (G). This results in a gap of 1 cm between flange and running face of rail.

​

Theory of coning

Advantages of coning:

• Reduce the wear and tear of wheel flanges and rails.
• To provide possibility of lateral movement of the axle with its wheels.
• To prevent the slipping of wheels.

Theory of coning:

• On level track, as soon as the axle moves towards one rail, the dia of the wheel tread over the rail increases, while it decreases over the other rail. This prevents the further movement and axle get back to its original position.
• Due to rigidity of the wheel base either the wheel must slip by an amount equal to the difference of length or the axle move slightly outwards to provide a tread of longer diameter over the outer rail and smaller diameter over the inner rail.

Theory of coning

If the tread dia. on both the rails is same then amount of slip is:

Slip=θ (R₂-R₁)

Where, outer radius, R₂= R+(G/2)

R₁= R- (G/2)

G=Gauge

θ= angle at centre in radians.

Slip= θ×G

G=1.676 meters for B.G

Slip= (2πθ˚/360) ×1.676

θ˚=angle at centre (degree)

Therefore, Slip = 0.029 m per degree of central angle

SLEEPERS

Sleepers: these are members laid transverse to the rails on which rails are supported and fixed to transfer the loads from rail to ballast and subgrade below.

Functions of sleepers:

• To hold the rails to correct gauge.
• To act an elastic medium between the ballast and rail to absorb the blows and vibrations due to moving loads.
• To distribute load from the rail to the index area of ballast or to the girders in case of bridges.
• To support rails - at proper level in straight tracks

- at proper super elevation on curves

​

​

• Sleepers also provide longitudinal and lateral stability of the permanent track on the whole.

Requirements of sleepers: an ideal sleeper should possess the following characteristics.

• Sleeper should be economical i.e, minimum initial and maintenance cost.
• Fitting of the sleepers should be easily adjustable during maintenance operations. Such as
• Lifting
• Packing,
• Removal and replacements.

• The weight of the sleeper should not be too heavy or excessively light i.e. with moderate weight they should be for ease of handling.
• Design of sleepers should be such a way that the gauge and alignment of track and levels of the rails can easily adjusted and maintained.
• The bearing area of sleepers below the rail seat and over the ballast should be enough to resist the crushing due to rail seat and crushing of ballast under sleepers.
• Design and spacing such a way to facilitate easy removal and replacement of ballast.

• Sleepers should be capable of resisting shocks and vibrations due to passage of heavy loads of high speed trains.
• Sleepers design should be such a way they are not damaged during packing process.
• Design should be strong enough so that they are not pushed out easily due to the moving trains especially in case of steel sleepers with rounded ends.
• An ideal sleeper should be anti-sabotage and anti-theft qualities.

• Classification of sleepers.
• Wooden sleepers:
• Wooden sleepers regarded to be best as they are fulfill all the requirements of ideal sleeper.
• Life of timber sleepers depends on their ability to resist wear, decay, attack by vermin, and quality of timber.
• Easily available ( Sal, teak, chir and deodar).
• Fittings to the wooden sleepers are few and simple in design.
• Resist shock and vibrations.
• But it is difficult to maintain gauge in case of wooden sleepers.
• Service life is minimum (12 to 15 years) and maintenance cost is also high as compared to other sleepers.

​

Composite sleeper index (C.S.I):

• It is an index to determine the suitability of timber for use as a sleeper.
• This is measure the mechanical strength of timber, derived from its composite properties of strength and hardness.

C.S.I = (S+10H)/20

​

min value of CSI are 783,1352 and 1455 for track, crossing and bridge sleeper respectively.

S= strength index both for green and dry timber at 12% of moisture content.

H=hardness index both for green and dry timber at 12% of moisture content.

​

Treatment of wooden sleepers:

• To improve the life of timber up to 30 to 50%.
• Timber has minute cells filled with juices, therefore by replacing these juices by means of preserving solutions is known as treatment.

Preserving solutions are:

1. Creosote: Creosoting is done at temp. 49˚C and 21 kg/cm²
2. Salt- solution: Chloride of zink (ZnCl₂)-process is called Burnettising.
3. Bichloride of mercury- salt solution (Hg Cl2)-kyanizing

​

2. Metal sleepers:

• These are either steel or cast iron, mostly cast iron since it is less prone to corrosion.

Requirements of metal sleepers:

• They should be capable of the tensile and compression stress due to the moving loads.

Cast iron sleepers:

1. Pot or bowl sleepers
2. Plate sleepers
3. Box sleepers
4. C.S.T 9(Central standard trial)sleepers
5. Rail free duplex sleepers

​

Pots or bowl sleepers:

• They consists of two bowls placed inverted on the ballast.
• Effective bearing area 0.232 sq.m is provided under each rail support.
• On top of the pot, a rail seat or chair is provided to hold the F.F rail or B.H rail with cant of 1 in 20.
• Weight of sleeper is 114 kg. it can be used on curves, sharper than 4˚ on B.G.

​

C.S.T-9 (Central Standard Trial-9)sleepers: it is standardized by track standard committee. It has triangular inverted pot on either side on rail seat, a plate with projecting rib and a box on the top of plate.

​

• C.S.T.-9 sleeper for B.G. weighs 103 kgs. This can be easily assembled as shown in fig.
• Here tie bar is fastened to the plate by means of four standard cotters. Small variation in gauge can be corrected by these 4 cotters.
• Shape of cast iron support in such a way to provide stable base for the rail, lateral and longitudinal stability of track.
• Mild steel two way key is provided to resist creeping movement of the rail.
• Rail seat has 1 in 20 cant and 11.4 cm width in B.G.
• Form rigid track subjected to vibration under moving load without any damping or absorption.
• Suitable for speed up to about 110 kmph.

Steel sleepers:

Various types of steel sleepers

1. Key type a) lugs or jaw pressed out of metal

b) with loose lugs or jaws

2. Clip bolt type
3. Saddle or spring type.

Features

• Fastening to the sleepers are less in numbers and simple in nature.
• Gauge by use of steel sleepers can be easily adjusted and maintained.
• Life of sleepers is much more than wooden sleepers.
• Cost is relatively more than wooden sleepers.

​

​

​

3. Concrete sleepers:

Two types of concrete sleepers

1. Reinforced concrete sleepers
2. Pre-stressed concrete sleepers.

Concrete material is called as ideal sleeper due to

• They made up of strong homogeneous material.
• Impervious to effect of moisture.
• Unaffected by the chemical effect of atmospheric gases or sub soil salts.
• Easy to mould into required shapes to withstand the stresses developed by moving loads.

Reinforced concrete sleeper: these are 2 types

1. Through type: in this type when concrete sleepers is stressed, cracks on the tension side are inevitable. Though these cracks are very small they tend to enlarge with repetition of the impact loadings of fast trains. This is the major reason for the failure of this sleeper.
2. Composite tie type

Prestressed concrete sleepers:

drawbacks of previous one can be eliminated by this type of sleepers,.

• In this concrete is put under very high initial compression.
• The max permissible compressive strength of 211 kg/cm².
• Max. cube crushing strength of concrete in the sleeper is 422 kg/cm² at 28 days.
• Pre-stressed wires are stressed to an initial stress of 8.82 kg/cm².

​

​

Wooden sleepers

Reinforced concrete sleepers

Prestressed concrete structures

Anchors

Adzing of Sleepers:

In order to obtain an inward slope of 1 in 20 for the rail, sleepers are adzed to form a table at this slope at the rail seat.

This process is known as adzing of sleepers. Generally adzing is done for wooden sleepers.

For smooth and comfortable journey accurate adzing is required.

​

1 in 20

slope

1 in 20

slope

Ballast material:

1. Broken stone:
1. It is the best material for the ballast. Mostly stone ballast is used in all important tracks.
2. The best stone for ballast is a nonporous, hard and angular. Igneous rocks such as hard trap, quartzite and granite are good material and are used in large quantities for high speed tracks in India.
3. For stability , graded broken stone ballast is better than ungraded one.
4. The size of stone ballast should be 5 cm for wooden sleepers and 4 cm for metal sleepers.

​

2. Gravel or river pebbles or shingle:

Gravel is second best material for ballast material.

Source: river bed, gravel pits.

Due to smoothness of the particles these are liable to displace the sleeper and the packing does not hold.

3. Ashes or cinders:

Earlier this is available in large scale on railways since coal been used in locomotives.

It can provide excellent properties since it is very porous in nature.

It is very cheap and can be used in sidings but not in main lines as it is very soft and gets reduced due the wheel load pressure and make the track very dusty.

​

​

​

Due to its corrosive quality it corrodes the steel sleepers and foot of the rail.

But in emergency such as floods ashes or cinders can be used for the repairing formation or packing tracks.

4. Sand:

It is cheap and provides good drainage. It is particularly good for packing pot sleepers.

But the drawback is it gets into the moving parts and on the track causes heavy wear therefore leads to high maintenance cost.

​

​

6. Kankar:

It is a lime agglomerate. It can be used where stone is not available. It can be used in road and railways as well. Under the application of loads it will become powder therefore it can be used only in M.G & N.G.

7. Brick ballast:

Where no stone or other substitutes available it can be used. It can be easily powdered and creates dusty tracks.

8. Blast furnace slag:

It is a by-product in the manufacture of pig iron forms. The material should be hard and with high density and these are free from gas holes.

9. Selected earth

​

​

​

​

​

Size of ballast:

The broken stones either of too big size or too small size are found unsuitable for railway ballast.

Size of ballast depends upon

• Type of sleepers
• Maintenance method
• Location of the track.

The size of the ballast used varies from 20mm to 50mm with reasonable proportion of intermediate sizes. The exact size of the ballast depends upon the type of sleepers.

• For wooden sleepers-51mm
• For steel sleepers-38mm
• For under switches, points and crossings-25.4mm

Minimum depth of ballast section:

The wheel load dispersion in the ballast is assumed at 45˚ to the vertical.

For uniform distribution of load on the formation, ballast depth should be such that the dispersion lines should not overlap each other.

Therefore, depth of ballast can be calculated by

Sleeper spacing (s)=

width of sleeper(w)+2×depth of ballast

​

Tests on ballast: Ballast material quality is defined by its particle characteristics. Therefore testing of ballast material is required to define these characteristics.

Tests for ballast material:

Durability tests:

Three abrasion tests are mainly using:

Los Angeles abrasion: it’s a dry test to measure toughness or tendency for breakage of aggregate.

It consists 12 steel balls in a large steel drum for 1000 revolutions. Impact of steel balls cause crushing on ballast.

Material from the test should sieve with 1.7 mm sieve.

The LAA value =((w₁-w₂)/ w₁)×100

Here

w₁= total weight of specimen

w₂= weight of material retained on the 1.7 mm sieve.

​

​

Los Angeles Abrasion test

Crushing test:

• To test resistance of an aggregate to crushing under wheel loads.
• The aggregate passing 12.5 mm IS sieve and retained on 10 mm IS sieve is selected for standard test. Material is placed in a steel mould of 150 ×180 mm deep.
• Load is applied through the plunger at a uniform rate of 4 tonnes per minute until the total load is 40 tonnes, and then the load is released.

Aggregate crushing value = (w₂/ w₁) ×100

Here

Total weight of dry sample taken = w₁

Weight of the material passing through 2.36mm sieve = w₂

Impact test:

It measures the toughness to sudden shocks and impact loads.

Aggregate size of passing through12.5mm sieve and retained on 10 mm sieve placed in a steel mould.

Subjected to 15 blows with 14 kg weight of hammer at a height of 380mm.

Aggregate impact value = (w₂/ w₁) ×100

Here

Total weight of dry sample taken = w₁

Weight of the material passing through 2.36mm sieve = w₂

​

​

Tamping rod

Steel mould

Shape tests:

Flakiness index: The flakiness index of aggregates is the percentages by weight of particles whose least dimension(thickness) is less than 0.6 of their mean dimension.

Elongation index:

• The elongation index of an aggregate is the percentage by weight of particles whose greatest dimension (length) is greater than 1.8 times of their mean dimension. The elongation test is not applicable to sizes smaller than6.3 mm.

​

THICKNESS GAUGE

Length gauge

Track fittings and rail fastenings are used to keep the rails in the proper position and to set the points and crossings properly.

They link the rails endwise and fix the rails either on chairs fixed to sleepers or directly on to the sleepers.

The important fittings commonly used are:

1. Fish plates
2. Spikes
3. Bolts
4. Chairs
5. Blocks
6. Keys
7. plates

Track Fittings and Fastenings

Pandrol clip or elastic rail clip

• The Pandrol PR 401 clip is standard type of fastening used in I.R.
• Earlier manufactured by Messrs and Guest, Keens and Williams.
• Require very less maintenance.
• Spring steel bar with a dia of 20.6 mm and is heat treated.
• It exerts a toe load of 710 kg for a nominal deflection of 11.4 mm.
• Can be fitted to wooden, steel, cast iron and concrete sleepers.
• Disadvantage is that it can be taken out using ordinary hammer so does not provide enough safeguard.

​

Fish plates: these are used in rail joints to maintain the continuity of the rails and to allow expansion and contraction.

Requirements of fish plates:

• Fish plates should maintain the correct alignment both horizontally and vertically.
• They should support the underside of the rail and top of the foot.
• Provide proper space for the expansion and contraction
• They should be made up of such a section to withstand shocks and heavy stresses due to lateral and vertical B.M

Sections of fish plates:

Various sections have been designed to bear the stresses due to lateral vertical bending.

Standard section is bone shaped

Fish plates

Design of fish plate section is depends up on the various stresses due to lateral and vertical bendings.

The strength of fish plate can be increased by means of increase in the depth but the c/s of fish plate is constant through out the length.

Ex:

Bone shaped plate for F.F rails

Increased depth fish plate for B.H rail.

​

Spikes:

For holding the rails to the wooden sleepers, spikes of various types are used.

Requirements of spikes:

Spikes should be strong enough to hold the rail in position and it should have enough resistance against motion to retain its original position.

The spikes should be deep for better holding power.

It should be easy in fixing and removal from the sleepers.

The spikes should cheap in cost and it should capable of maintaining the gauge.

​

Various types of spikes:

1. Dog spikes: For holding F.F rail to wooden sleeper.

These are stout nails to hold rail flanges with timber sleepers.

​

​

​

​

The only disadvantage of these spikes is that due to wave motion of rail the spike is driven out of the sleepers which reduce the pressure on the foot of F.F rails, resulting in creep occurrence.

2. Screw spikes: these are tapered screws with V-threads used to fasten the rails with timber sleepers.

​

​

​

​

​

​

These are more stronger than dog spikes in holding power.

These are costly and the gauge maintenance is more difficult than earlier one.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Round spikes:

The head shape is either cylindrical or hemi spherical.

These are used for fixing chairs of B.H. rails to wooden sleepers and also fixing slide chairs of points and crossing.

​

Standard spikes:

These are used for cast iron chairs only to fix them with timber sleepers.

Elastic spikes:

The disadvantages of dog spikes can be eliminated by this. The advantages of this spikes is its head absorbs the wave motion without getting loose.

Chairs:

These are used for different types of rails

C.I Chairs:

For holding D.H and B.H rails, chairs are used. B.H rails are supported on C.I Chairs fixed to the sleepers by round spikes.

Slide chairs:

These are plates of special shape on which the stock and tongue rails rest.

​

​

​

Blocks: when two rails run very close as in case of check rails, etc. small blocks are inserted in between the two rails and bolted to maintain the required distance.

Bolts: used for fixing various track components in position.

Dog or hook bolt: when sleepers rest directly on girder they are fastened to top flange top flange of the girder by bolts called dog bolts.

Fish bolt: made up of medium or high carbon steel. For a 44.7 kg rail, a bolt of 2.5 cm. dia. and 12.7 cm length is used. With each fish plate standard practice is to use four bolts. Generally, a projection of 6 mm of the shank is left out after the nut is tightened.

Keys:

Keys are small tapered pieces of timber on steel to fix rails to chairs on metal sleepers.

Morgan key:

This is about 18 cm long and tapered 1 in 32. these are suit the C.I chair, plate sleepers and steel sleepers with the rail.

The advantages of morgan keys are

• They can be used as left hand or right hand keys.
• They are light in weight due to double recess on either side.
• They are versatile in nature.

Bearing plates:

Bearing plates are rectangular plates of mild steel or cast iron used below F.F rails to distribute the load on larger area of timber sleeper.

Advantages:

• To distribute the load coming on rails to the sleepers over a larger area and to prevent skidding of the rail in the soft wooden sleepers.
• Prevent the destruction of the sleeper due to rubbing action of the rail.
• Adzing of sleeper can be avoided by bearing plates.

​