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SLEEPERS
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Sleepers
In ballasted track, the rails rest on sleepers
& together form the built-up portion of
the superstructure.
Sleepers provide support to the rails so
that the load can be transferred efficiently
to the lower layers or support systems.
These are embedded in the ballast cushion
to keep them in place
Rails are connected to the sleepers using
different types of fastenings suitable for a
type of sleeper
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Sleepers
Sleepers are the transverse ties that are laid to support
the rails
Functions of Sleepers
Hold rails in their correct gauge and alignment
Gives a firm and even support to the rails
Transfer loads evenly from the rails to a wider area of
the ballast
Absorb the blows and vibrations caused by moving
loads. It should be elastic in nature
Providing longitudinal and lateral stability to the
permanent way
Providing the means to rectify the track geometry
during their service life.
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Requirements of Sleepers
The initial & maintenance costs should be minimal.
The weight of the sleeper should be moderate so that
it is convenient to handle.
Designs of the sleeper and the fastenings should be
such that it is possible to fix and remove the rails
easily.
The sleeper should have a sufficient bearing area so
that the ballast under it is not crushed.
The sleeper should be such that it is possible to
maintain and adjust the gauge properly.
The material of the sleeper and its design should be
such that it does not break or get damaged during
packing
Should have a long life span equal to rails
Damage on derailment shall not be excessive
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Wooden Sleepers
Suitable for low-speed lines with a speed
limit of 160 km/h
The wooden sleeper is the most ideal type
of sleeper, and its utility has not decreased
with
Gauge the passage
Size (cm)of time
Bearing area per sleeper
(m2)
Sizes of wooden sleepers and bearing areas
BG 275 × 25 × 13 0.465
MG 180 × 20 × 11.5 0.3098
NG 150 × 18 × 11.5 0.209
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Advantages of wooden sleepers
(a) Cheap and easy to manufacture
(b) Absorbs shocks and bears a good capacity to
dampen vibrations; therefore, retains the packing well
(c) Easy handling without damage
(d) Suitable for track-circuited sections
(e) Suitable for areas with yielding formations e.g
bridges, ash pits etc. This is because of more bearing
areas
(f) Alignment can be easily corrected
(g) More suitable for modern methods of maintenance
(h) Can be used with or without stone ballast
(i) Can be used on bridges and ashpits
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Disadvantages
(a) Lesser life due to wear, decay, and attack
by vermin
(b) Liable to mechanical wear due to beater
packing
(c) Difficult to maintain the gauge
(d) Susceptible to fire hazards
(e) Negligible scrap value
(f) Low availability of timber
(g) Maintenance is costly
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Types of wooden sleepers
1. Durable type: These do not require any treatment and can be laid
directly on the track. On a broad gauge they can be used for 19
years and 31 years on a metre gauge.
2. Non-durable sleepers require treatment before being put on the
track. If a non-durable type of sleeper is put onto the track
directly without any preservative treatment, the sleeper will
decay in a very short time. If, however, such sleepers are treated
before use, they last longer and their life is comparable to that of
durable sleepers. On a broad gauge they can be used for 12.5
years and 15.5 years on a metre gauge.
Timber produced from trees with broad leaves is known as hard
wood and that obtained from trees bearing long leaves is considered
soft wood. Some of the hard wood varieties also require treatment
before being used in the track. to avoid confusion, wood is classified as
‘U’ or Untreated sleeper and ‘T’ or Treated sleepers.
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Seasoning of sleepers
Wooden sleepers are seasoned to reduce the moisture
content so that their treatment is effective. Moisture
content in the case of sleepers to be treated by
pressure treatment should not be more than 25%
Artificial seasoning in kiln: This is a controlled method of seasoning the
timber, under conditions of temperature and relative humidity, which are in
the range of natural air seasoning.
Boulton or boiling under vacuum process: This is a process in which
unseasoned wood is treated with hot preservative to remove the moisture
content.
Air seasoning :The sleepers are stacked in the timber yard and a provision
is made for enough space for the circulation of air in between the sleepers.
The sleepers are stacked in any one of the following ways:
1. One and nine method
2. Close crib method
3. Open crib method
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Steel Sleepers
Rolled steel plate, 13 mm thick. It is pressed to suitable trough
shape, railway seat canted to 1 in 20
The ends of the rolled section are flattened out in the shape of a
spade to retain the ballast
Total weight of 79 kg
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Steel Trough Sleeper
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Steel Trough Sleeper
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Advantages
Long life (30-40 years)
Easy to maintain gauge and less maintenance problems
Good lateral rigidity
Less damage during handling and transport
Simple manufacturing process
Very good scrap value
Free from decay and attack by vermin
Not susceptible to fire hazard
Disadvantages
Liable to corrosion
Unsuitable for track-circuited areas
Liable to become centre-bound because of slopes at the two ends
Develops cracks on rail seats during service-it is of a sheet type
13mm
Design is rail-specific
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Relatively expensive
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Types of steel trough sleepers
1. The lugs or jaws are pressed out of the plate itself to accommodate the foot
of the rail and the key
2. Two holes are punched into either side of the plate to accommodate
specially designed ‘loose jaws’
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The rail is placed on top of the pots in a
rail seat provided with a cant of 1 in 20
and is held in position with the help of a
key.
The pot sleeper suffers from the
drawback that it cannot be used on
curves sharper than 4° on BG
Most of the fittings are hidden and their
inspection and maintenance is quite
difficult
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CST-9-SLEEPER
The sleeper is a combination of pot, plate, and
box sleepers
It consists of two triangular inverted pots on
either side of the rail seat, a central plate with a
projected keel, and a box on top of the plate
The two CI plates are connected by a tie bar
with the help of four cotters. The rails are held
to the sleeper by two-way keys provided at each
rail seat on the side of the gauge face. The gauge
is adjusted to a value of ± 5 mm by altering the
relative positions of the four cotters.
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CST 9 SLEEPER
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Advantages of Cast Iron Sleepers
Service life 35-50 years
Easy to transport and assemble
Less corrosion
Less probability of cracking at rail seat
Easy to manufacture
Higher scrap value
Disadvantages of Cast Iron Sleepers
Gauge maintenance is difficult as tie bars get bent
Provides less lateral stability
Unsuitable for track-circuited lines
Not very suitable for mechanical maintenance because of rounded
bottom
Susceptible to breakage
Rail seat wears out early
Direct transfer of shocks and vibrations
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Concrete Sleepers
They are of 2 types:
Mono Block PCR: Tripezoidal section, cant 1 in 20 for 175mm
centre of line of rail. The sleeper is prestressed with 18 high tensile
steel (HTS) strands of 3 × 3 mm diameter and 12 6-mm-diameter
mild steel links. The initial prestressing of the steel is 100 kg/cm2. The
28-day crushing strength of the concrete is normally not less than 525
kg/cm2
Two Block RCCS:
Prohibited locations for use of concrete sleepers:
Troublesome formations
Rock cuttings without ballast cushion
Unballasted lines in yards
Curves of radius less than 500mm
Locations of excessive corrosion
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Comparing types of sleepers
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Comparing types of sleepers
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Sleeper spacing
If the sleeper density is M + 7 on a broad gauge route
and the length of the rail is 13 m, it means that 13 + 7 =
20 sleepers will be used per rail on that route. The
standard spacing specifications adopted for a fish-plated
track is shown in the figure below;
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Sleeper spacing
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Sleeper spacing
The number of sleepers in a track can also be specified
by indicating the number of sleepers per kilometre of
the track. For example, 1540 sleepers/km. This
specification becomes more relevant particularly in
cases where rails are welded and the length of the rail
does not have much bearing on the number of sleepers
required.
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