Function of Sleepers
The main functions of sleepers are as follows:
- It holds the rail to correct gauge and alignment.
- It gives firm and even support to the rails.
- It transfer the load in a uniform way from rails to area of ballast.
- It acts as an elastic medium between rails and the ballast to absorb the blows and vibrations of moving load.
- It provides longitudinal and lateral stability to the permanent way.
Note:
- If rail sections are not being supported evenly and firmly, then they will sink into the ballast cushion.
- If sleepers are not elastic then the deformation will keep on increasing and finally
the track will become irregular in shape.
Wooden Sleepers
- It is the most ideal type of sleeper and with passage of time its utility has not decreased.
- There are two categories of wooden sleepers
- Hardwood sleepers → Sal, Teak etc.
- Soft wood sleepers → Deodar, Chir etc.
Advantages of wooden sleeper
- Cheap and easy to manufacture,
- Very useful for heavy loads and high speed trains,
- Absorbs shocks and dampens vibrations properly,
- Can be handled easily without damage,
- Alignment can be corrected easily,
- Can be used with or without ballast,
- Most suitable for track circuiting, and
- Suitable in the areas having yielding formation
Disadvantages of wooden sleepers
- Do not maintain the gauge accurately,
- Easily develop cracks with beater packing,
- Susceptible to fire hazards,
- It has lesser life due to wear, decay and attack by vermins, and
- Scrap value is low.
- The size of sleepers for B.G, M.G. and N.G. as well as their bearing area per sleeper is as follows:
| Gauge | Size (in cms) | Bearing area per sleeper (in sq.ft.) |
|---|---|---|
| B.G | 275 × 25 × 13 | 5.00 |
| M.G | 180 × 20 × 11.5 | 3.33 |
| N.G | 150 × 18 × 11.5 | 2.25 |
- Wooden sleepers required for bridges and points and crossings are of thicker section.
viz. 10″ × 6″ or 10″ × 7″
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Must Read: What is Railway Engineering?
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