Track structure

Track or permanent way is the railroad on which trains run. Track

structure is under dynamic and static loads, and also the
environmental factors have an impact on the track structure. The
track structure consists of :
• Rails
• Sleepers
• Fittings and fastenings (Joints and welds)
• Ballast

Slide 1
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail

• Rails are the members of track laid in two parallel lines.

• Rails provide an unchanging continuous and level surface for the
movement of trains.
• To be able to withstand stresses, they are made of high-carbon steel.
• They carry out the function of transmitting load to a large area of the
ballast through sleepers.
• They serve as a lateral guide for the wheels.
• They provide a smooth running surface and distribute accelerating
and braking force by means of adhesion.
• They act as an electrical conductor on an electrified line.
• They conduct signal current.

Slide 2
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail

• The rail is designated by its

weight per unit length.(kg/m)
• The standard rail length is 12 m
dor standard gauge and narrow
gauge, and 13 m for broad gauge.
• A rail consists of a head, a web,
and a foot.
• In tunnels and coastal areas, to
overcome the effects of humidity
and weather effect an extra
height of 10 mm is provided for
the head.
• The shape and dimensions of the
head are important to withstand
dynamic loads.

Slide 3
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail

• Originally conical tire

profiles with an inclination
of 1:20 are used to reduce
the wear of tires.
• Since a centrally applied
load on the rail head is
desired, a rail inclination of
1:20 is also selected.
• The foot is designated by its
width and shape.
• If the joint is provided by a
fish plate, the fishing angle
should be considered to
locate bolts.

Slide 4
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail

kaynak: http://www.ndt-ed.org

Slide 5
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail

Rails in
Turkey(2003):
• %19 <46.303kg/m
• %18 46.303kg/m
• %63 49.05kg/m

kaynaklar: http://www.rail.tudelft.nl, Gerçek, H., (2006). Demiryolu Üstyapısı ders notları.

Slide 6
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Sleepers

The spacing of sleepers is fixed depending the needed sleeper density.

Sleeper density is the number of sleepers per rail length. Spacing is
not kept uniform throughout the rail length. Spacing is closer when
they are near to the joints because of the weakness of the joints and
the impact of moving loads on them. However, there is a limitation to
the close spacing of the sleepers. The general function of sleepers are:

• To provide support and fixing possibilities for the rail foot and
fastenings.
• To sustain rail forces and transfer them as uniformly as possible to the
ballast.
• To preserve track gauge and rail inclination.
• To provide adequate electric insulation between rails.
• To be resistant to mechanical influences and weathering over a long
time period.
• Types of sleepers are wooden sleepers, steel sleepers, and concrete
sleepers.

Slide 7
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Sleepers

• In Turkey, wooden sleepers

are produced from timbers
such as beech, pine, and oak.
• The wooden sleeper is
prismatic in shape, 15 cm
high, and 25 cm wide. The
length is 2.60-2.70 m and it
weighs about 100 kg.
• They absorb shocks and bear
a good capacity to dampen
vibrations, therefore retain the
packing well.

Slide 8
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Sleepers

• Wooden sleepers have to undergo

a number of treatments:
• Drying period: moisture level
have to be lower than 20-25%
• Processing: holes have to be
drilled before fixing the fastening
system.
• Creosoting: the creosote is
impregnated into the wood under
high pressure. This oil conserves
sleepers against fungi, insects,
etc.

• The total service life: pine 20-25

years, beech 30-40 years, oak 40-
60 years

Slide 9
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Sleepers

Steel sleepers have started to be

used during WWI by Germany.
• They are much lighter and have
the shape of U-profile
• The ends of the rolled section are
flattened out in the shape of a
spade to retain the ballast.
• They have an average life of
about 50 years.
• They provide less lateral stability.
• They are unsuitable for track-
circuited(electrified) areas.
• They have great dimensional
accuracy.

Slide 10
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Sleepers

Concrete sleepers: The use of • The drawbacks of them are:

concrete sleepers become • Less elastic than wood.
significant after WWII owing to • Susceptible to corrugation and poor
improvements in concrete quality welds.
technology and pre-stressing
• Risk of damage from impacts
techniques.
(derailment, loading/unloading)
• Dynamic load and ballast stresses
• Because of their heavyweight,
they are useful in connection can be as much as 25% higher.
with stability of continuous • There are two types of concrete
welded rail track sleepers; twin-block and Monoblock
• They have a long service life • The sleepers in Turkey (2003)
and they are relatively simple • 63% concrete
to manufacture.
• 24% wooden
• 13% steel

Slide 11
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Ballast

The thickness of the ballast should be 40-50 cm for • It transfers and distributes
the track axis. The most important load from the sleepers to
requirements to be met by the ballast material subgrade.
are hardness, wear resistance and good particle • It provides elasticity and
size distribution. The particle must be cubic and resilience to the track for
have sharp edges. riding comfort.
• Crushed stone: porphyry, basalt, granite, • It holds sleepers in position
gneiss limestone, and sandstone .Grading is and provides the necessary
30/60 mm for mainline and 20/40 mm for resistance to track for
switch and crossing work and level longitudinal and lateral
crossings
stability.
• Gravel: Obtained from rivers;20/50 mm • The contamination of ballast
grading. Gravel is very hard, but is made up
should be prevented. A
of round grains which means that a gravel
contaminated ballast bed
ballast bed has a low material friction.
hinders water drainage which
• Crushed gravel: Obtained by breaking up results in reduced shear
large pieces of gravel;20/40 m grading resistance and freezing during
frost.

Slide 12
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Ballasted track vs. Slab track

• Ballasted track: • Slab track:

• Lower construction cost • Higher construction cost
• Good elasticity • The track is to a large
• Good damping of noise extent maintenance free
• Relatively simple • Longer service life
maintenance
• Pulverization of the ballast
grains resulting in particles
damaging he rail and
wheels

Slide 13
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Ballasted track vs. Slab track

Slide 14
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail joints and welds

• Fishplated joint
• Continuously welded rail

kaynaklar: http://www.rail.tudelft.nl, Gerçek, H., (2006). Demiryolu Üstyapısı ders notları.

Slide 15
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail joints and welds

• Glued insulated joint

kaynaklar: http://www.rail.tudelft.nl, Gerçek, H., (2006). Demiryolu Üstyapısı ders notları.

Slide 16
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Rail joints and welds

• Fishplated joints have a possibility of expansion

kaynaklar: http://www.rail.tudelft.nl, Gerçek, H., (2006). Demiryolu Üstyapısı ders notları.

Slide 17
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Thermit weld

• The process, is basically as follows:

• rail ends are aligned;
• mould is installed around the joint;
• crucible is installed;
• rails are pre-heated to about 900 °C
using propane burners;
• mixture is ignited; reaction:
2Al + Fe2O3 -> Al2O3 + 2Fe + 850 kJ;
• crucible and mould are removed;
• weld collar is stripped and ground.

Gerçek, H., (2006). Demiryolu Üstyapısı ders notları.

Slide 18
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Fastenings

The general functions and requirements of the fastenings are:

• To absorb the rail forces elastically and transfer them to the
sleeper. The vertical clamping force of the rail on the sleeper
must be sufficient in all load situations, even in case of wear,
in order to provide the necessary longitudinal resistance to
limit the breathing length in CWR rail, to limit gaps in the case
of rail fractures, and to resist creep;
• To damp vibrations and impacts caused by traffic as much as
possible;
• To retain the track gauge and rail inclination within certain
tolerances;
• To provide electrical insulation between the rails and sleepers,
especially in the case of concrete and steel sleepers.

Slide 19
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Fastenings

kaynak: http://www.rail.tudelft.nl

Slide 20
December 25, 2024
Track structure

kaynak: http://www.rail.tudelft.nl

Slide 21
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Maintenance

Track maintenance can be divided into:

• rail geometry;
• track geometry;
• track structures;
• ballast bed;
• level crossings;
• miscellaneous

Slide 22
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Maintenance

Maintenance of track:
• Rail grinding
• Correcting weld geometry
• Tamping machines
• Stone blowing
• Ballast cleaner
• Track renewal

Slide 23
December 25, 2024
Rail grinding

December 25, 2024 Slide 24

Track structure: Track loads

Track loads:

1. Vertical forces
 Static vertical forces
 Dynamic vertical forces
2. Lateral forces
 Lateral forces parallel to track
 Lateral forces transverse to track
 Other lateral forces

Slide 25
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Vertical forces

1. Static forces:
• Weight of track structure
• Axle loads (16t-18t TR, 20t EU, 25t-32t US, 15t-16t JP)
• Axle load= f (wight of rail, sleeper density)
• UIC:
• A: 16t/axle
• B: 18t/ axle
• C: 20t/ axle
• Acceptable load acting on railway structures on a unit length:
• 2: 6.4t/m
• 3: 7.2t/m
• 4: 8.0t/m

Slide 26
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Vertical forces

2. Dynamic forces:
• discontinuities at welds, joints, switches etc.
• track irregularities (horizontal and vertical) and irregular track
stiffness due to variable characteristics and settlement of
ballast bed and formation
• irregular rail running surface (corrugations);
• vehicle defects such as wheel flats, natural vibrations,
hunting.

Slide 27
December 25, 2024
Track structure: Lateral forces

1.Lateral forces parallel to track:

• dynamic lateral force component
• Adhesion force (Za = Ga  a)
• Braking force (Pf = K  f)
• The change in length of a released rail
2. Lateral forces transverse to track:
• lateral force due to non-compensated centrifugal force (K: f(P,
U))
• idem for cross wind
3. Other lateral forces:
• lateral force in curve caused by flanging against the outer rail
• Forces due to parasitic movements

Slide 28
December 25, 2024
Que vadis or Fe eyne Tezhebun?

• TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ
DEVLETİ’nin ŞEREF ve
HAYSİYETİNİ , HERŞEYİN
ve HERKESİN ÜZERİNDE
TUTARIM.

December 25, 2024 Slide 29