Types of Ballast

Types of Ballast

The different types of ballast used on Indian Railways are described in the following.

Sand ballast

Sand ballast is used primarily for cast iron (CI) pots. It is also used with wooden and steel trough sleepers in areas where traffic density is very low. Coarse sand is preferred in comparison to fine sand. It has good drainage properties, but has the drawback of blowing off because of being light. It also causes excessive wear of the rail top and the moving parts of the rolling stock.

Moorum ballast

The decomposition of laterite results in the formation of moorum. It is red, and sometimes yellow, in colour. The moorum ballast is normally used as the initial ballast in new constructions and also as sub-ballast. As it prevents water from percolating into the formation, it is also used as a blanketing material for black cotton soil.

Coal ash or cinder

This type of ballast is normally used in yards and sidings or as the initial ballast in new constructions since it is very cheap and easily available. It is harmful for steel sleepers and fittings because of its corrosive action.

Broken stone ballast

This type of ballast is used the most on Indian Railways. A good stone ballast is generally procured from hard stones such as granite, quartzite, and hard trap. The quality of stone should be such that neither is it porous nor does it flake off due to the vagaries of weather. Good quality hard stone is normally used for high-speed tracks. This type of ballast works out to be economical in the long run.

Other types of ballast

There are other types of ballast also such as the brickbat ballast, gravel ballast, kankar stone ballast, and even earth ballast. These types of ballast are used only in special circumstances.

The comparative advantages, disadvantages, and suitability of different types of ballast are given in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1   Comparison of different types of ballast