There are several methods for mounting a rail to form a track for the railway engineer....

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Civil Engineering

There are several methods for mountinga rail to form a track for the railway engineer. For the followingmethods, state the advantages and disadvantages and describe wherethey would most likely be used:
(i) Timber sleeper
(ii) Steel sleeper
(iii) Mono-bloc concrete sleeper
(iv) Twin-bloc concrete sleeper
(v) Slab track

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4.0 Ratings (688 Votes)

Railway sleepersThey are the components on which the rails are arranged with aproper gauge such as broad gauge narrowgauge etcThese sleepers generally rest on the ballast The load fromrails when the train passes is taken by these sleepers and isdistributed to the ballastThey are also known as ties in some regionsCharacteristics of Ideal Railway SleepersInitial cost and maintenance cost should be lowThey should resist weathering corrosion decay and otherdeteriorationThey should bear the wheel load efficiently andsatisfactorilyThey should maintain the correct gaugeThey should absorb shocks or vibrations due to movingvehiclesIt should distribute the load properly and uniformly over theballastFastenings of rail with sleepers should be strong andsimpleThey should not break while packing of ballastWeight should not be low or highClassification of Railway SleepersBased on the materials used railwaysleepers are classified into the following typesWooden sleepersConcrete sleepersMonobloc concrete sleeperTwinbloc concrete sleeperSteel sleepersCast iron sleepersComposite sleepersWooden SleepersThese are sleepers made of woodThese are commonly 254mm wide by 127mm thick in crosssectionby 2600 mm longThe sleepers are first seasoned drying for up to 12 months sothat to remove the juicesap and treated with preservativesCreosote is an oil generally used sprayed on the surfaceWooden sleepers are used since olden daysThese are still widely using in some western countriesEither hardwood or softwood can be used to make woodensleepers However hardwood sleepers made of oak jarrah teakwoodare more famousTwo types of timber sleepersareSwitch TiesThe primary use for switch ties is to transfer load as from thename and are made of hardwood This type is preferably used inbridge approaches heavily traveled railway crossovers andtransition tiesSoftwood Tiessoftwood timber is more rot decayresistant than hardwood but does not offer resistance to spikehole enlargement gauge spreading also are not as effective intransmitting the load to the ballast section as the hardwoodtieSoftwood ties and hardwood ties shouldnot be mixed on the main track Softwood ties are typically used inopen deck bridgesAdvantages of WoodenSleepersWood sleepers are cheaper than others and easy tomanufactureThey are light in weight so they can be easily transported andhandled while installingFasteners can be easily See Answer

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