CONCRETE SLEEPER TO RESIST THE EFFECTS OF FROST

Serious frost heaving is a menace which is encountered frequently in Japan. The pre-requisites of a prestressed sleeper to be used in such winter climates are that it must resist the distructive action of frost, and the metal and rubber parts of its fastenings must not become brittle or deteriorate at low temperatures. To ensure this resistance, air-entrained concrete should be used and its surface must have no holes, hollows or depressions, however slight, in which water can lodge. Rough edges and corners where deterioration in the concrete begins must be avoided, and the whole must be of fine concrete and quite smooth. The design of both sleeper and fastenings must be such that they will resist abnormal rail-loading and ballast reaction during frost-heaving and subsequent thawing. A special sleeper, Type 3F, was prepared for a series of tests in mid-winter in Japan. This prestressed sleeper contains 20 pairs of 2.9 mm diameter prestressing wires. Stresses were recorded during the most severe season of frost heaving. The expected centre-binding of the sleepers did not take place during the frost-heaving; instead many sleepers were supported under the ends as beams. In the cross-sections of the sleepers under the rails the measured values of the resisting moments were below the design values during both frost-heaving and the following thaw. Further testing is considered necessary before these sleepers are accepted as a standard.

• Corporate Authors:

  Temple Press Limited

  161-166 Fleet Street
  Longon EC4,   England 
• Publication Date: 1966-10-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 789
• Serial:
  • RAILWAY GAZETTE
  • Volume: 122

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bending; Bending moments; Bending stress; Concrete; Concrete ties; Frost; Railroad ties; Railroad tracks; Stability (Mechanics); Stresses; Structural design; Subgrade (Pavements); Technology; Tension; Thaw
• Uncontrolled Terms: Tensile stress; Track design; Track stability
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Subject Areas: Design; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00037837
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 15 1976 12:00AM