An insight into design of prefabricated and prestressed concrete monoblock railway ties for service loads

Abstract

Ballasted railway track ties support the wheel forces of a train that are transferred by the rails, maintain the track gauge and provide track stability.  Prestressed concrete ties provide the required track bearing to the applied wheel loads and constitute a major part of the track self-weight. Design of prestressed concrete ties involves an evaluation of their structural interaction with the ballast and an understanding of prestressed concrete design for service loads and ultimate loads. This paper aims to provide an insight for the design of a prestressed concrete ballasted railway tie under service loads and highlight the genuine qualities of tie design in terms geotechnical engineering, materials engineering and structural engineering. Through the analysis of a finite element model, this paper presents estimations for bending moment values under service conditions for a prestressed concrete high-speed railway tie under varying track support conditions. The paper then compares the estimated values with those suggested by the relevant design guidelines for railway ties.