Maintenance of Concrete sleepers

Maintenance of Concrete sleepers

The following points need attention in the maintenance of concrete sleepers.

i)                    Concrete sleepers should normally be maintained with heavy on-track tampers. For spot attention, MSP or off-track tampers may be used. The size of chips for MSP should be 8 mm-30 mm as required

(b) Only 30 sleeper spaces are to be opened out at a time between two fully boxed track stretches of 30 sleepers length each in case a LWR track exists.

(c)  Concrete sleepers should be compacted well and uniformly to give a good riding surface. Centre binding of mono-block concrete sleepers should be avoided, for which the central 800 mm of the sleeper should not be hard packed.

(d) Both ends of the concrete sleepers should be periodically painted with anticorrosive paint to prevent corrosion of the exposed ends of prestressing wires. In the case of two-block sleepers, the tie bars should be examined every year, and if any sign of corrosion is noticed, the affected portion should be painted with an approved paint.

(e)  Mechanical equipment should be used for laying and maintaining concrete sleepers as far as possible.

(f)  Wherever casual renewal of concrete sleepers is to be done, the normal precautions followed for LWR tracks should be taken.

(g)  The elastic rail clip should be driven properly to ensure that the leg of the clip is flush with the end face of the insert. Overdriving and underdriving should be guarded against, as these cause eccentric loading on the insulations, resulting in their displacement and in the variation of load.

(h) A vigilant watch should be kept to ensure that no creep occurs in any portion of the concrete sleeper track or there is no excessive movement near the switch expansion joint (SEJ).

(i)  It must be ensured that the rubber pads are in their correct positions. Whenever it is found that the rubber pads have developed a permanent set, these should be replaced by new ones. Such examinations can be done at the time of destressing. Toe load can also be lost due to ineffective pads.

(j)  Nylon or composite insulating liners used with Pandrol clips should be examined periodically for signs of cracking and breakage. Adequate care should be exercised when driving the clip at the time of installation to prevent damage.

(k) One of the biggest problems regarding the maintenance of a concrete sleeper track is that the elastic rail clips get seized with malleable cast iron (MCI) inserts not only during regular maintenance, but also during destressing, other incidental works, and derailments. The following remedial measures are suggested.

(i)  At the base depot, all the elastic rail clips and MCI inserts should be thoroughly cleaned. Grease should then be applied on the central leg of the elastic rail clip (ERC) and the eye of the MCI insert. These should then be driven into place at the time of assembly of the service pan.

ii)                  During service all the elastic rail clips must be taken out from the MCI inserts and cleaned with a wire brush and emery paper, specially on the central leg. The eyes of the MCI inserts must also be cleaned of any debris or rusted material. The central leg of the ERC should then be covered with good quality grease. The eyes of the MCI inserts should be smeared with the same grease before the treated ERCs are driven back. This has to be repeated every one year in corrosion prone areas. A maintenance checklist for concrete sleepers is given in Table 7.7.

Table 7.7   Maintenance checklist for concrete sleepers