Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TRACK
REPORT
The Journal of Pandrol
Track Systems
Contents
Pandrol Fastclip
PANDROL FASTCLIP FE Installation, Malaysia
By Ross Simpson: Track Manager (Technical)
at MMC Gamuda Joint Venture, Malaysia 09
Projects
Rail Fastenings for Heavy Haul Applications
By Dr David Rhodes: Former Technical Director
at Pandrol Ltd, UK 13
Pandrol Evolutions
PANDROL CDM TRACK 24
Pandrol Vanguard
in Japan
Pandrol Ltd, the world leader in the rail fastenings works on a quite different principle to
conventional baseplates, by suspending
industry has been involved in their supply and the rail at the web and under its head
rather than clamping the rail foot.
design since 1937. Over this time, Pandrol Ltd has
developed a number of new products to advance Wedge-shaped elastomeric elements are
held in compression against the rail, so
rail technology and improve the materials used in that as well as being supported, the rail
rail fastenings. is secured to the track foundation. This
clamping force also provides adequate
resistance to contain longitudinal loads
in the rail. The principal advantage
Since 1987, Pandrol has been supplying products to Japanese of Pandrol Vanguard over more
railways. The focus has always been on improving designs, track conventional rail fastenings is that it
safety and the introduction of new technology. Many new and allows much greater vertical deflections
unique types of fastener have been successfully introduced into under traffic without excessive rail roll.
The low track stiffness leads to improved
Japan by Pandrol. attenuation in the dynamic forces
clip fasteners are useful to a point, but generated at the wheel-rail interface,
Slab Track Fasteners for improved vibration performance, thus reducing the level of dynamic forces
alternative track support products must transmitted through the fastening and
Concrete slab track, has evolved be used. into the track foundation and beyond.
considerably in recent decades,
Typically the Japanese standard The rubber wedge supporting elements
particularly in Japan and it comes in
Direct 8 fastening system has a vertical deflect in the shear mode, rather than in
many types. Slab track is favoured due
static secant stiffness of around 20 to compression. Natural rubber, known for
to its durability and low maintenance
30 kN/mm. In order to significantly its outstanding dynamic performance
cost. There are a number of rail fastening
improve the vibration performance of is the elastomer chosen for the wedge.
options available to the slab track
such a fastener, a significant reduction in Pandrol Vanguard delivers a vertical
designer including the resilient baseplate
that value of vertical stiffness is required. static stiffness of 5 kN/mm and a
which anchors the rail to the concrete by
dynamic stiffness of around 7 kN/mm in
means of a resilient fastener.
a safe manner whilst restricting rail roll
Conventional rail fasteners use spring Pandrol Vanguard and maintaining track geometry.
clips which apply load to the rail foot.
Pandrol Vanguard delivers high levels
There are limits to the lowest vertical It was on recognising the limit of
of vibration attenuation, but at a much
stiffness that can be provided using this conventional baseplate technology
lower installed cost than floating
method. The vibration performance of during the 1990s that Pandrol developed
slab track. The exceptional vibration
the fastener is directly dependent on the Pandrol Vanguard system for control
attenuating performance of
low vertical stiffness. Therefore spring of rail vibrations. Pandrol Vanguard
WEB www.pandrol.com 3
needed for unloading baseplates from
the works locomotive). Over a period
of four nights a total of 324 Pandrol
Vanguard assemblies were fitted into the
entire 100m trial section of the track.
Pandrol VIPA
The expansion of the station at Reading has been a major project for
Network Rail that has extended over nearly 6 years from design preparation
to conducting the works programme. The need to extend the station was
identified when Network Rail pinpointed the main bottlenecks to further
expansion of passenger and freight services around the network.
The objective of the Reading expansion to provide the ability to swap the rail Concast Building, and was delivered to
was to improve the flow pattern of section following the initial installation. site ready to install the Pandrol VIPA-SP
trains both through and into the station. baseplates in-situ prior to the date of
Careful consideration was given to the The ‘lid’ design became a prefabricated the possession. It would then be lifted
demands of freight services, which can concrete element to bridge the two by crane into position. The adjustment
inhibit flow and were restricted to night sides of the subway walls, providing a range of the baseplates was used both
time operations. The aim was to create very thin structure between the trains to adjust the alignment following the
a new layout in and around the station and pedestrians. This needed to have installation of the structure, and
and improve the flow for both passenger vibration mitigation to ensure that in the longer term to provide for the
and freight services. This was the largest the walking route was cushioned and replacement of the rail, which was to
single project for Network Rail over the quietened from the trains moving change from 56E1 to 60E1.
period, costing over £850 million and overhead. The prefabricated nature
involving new platforms, new bridges, of the ‘lid’ also allowed the complete The vertical alignment achieved with
expansion of the station buildings, unit to be craned into its final position the new track had to remain in the same
new signalling, new turnouts (S&C) and during a weekend possession, keeping position following the exchange to the
changes to both train and pedestrian disruption of service to a minimum. larger rail section. In order to achieve
flow patterns. this result, on initial installation the
The Pandrol VIPA-SP system was baseplates were fitted with underlying
The pedestrian routes around the station selected by the consulting engineers, removable shims that allowed the
have been changed and improved, Corus, to provide both the vibration baseplate to be lowered and the taller
including the refurbishment of an attenuation and the necessary degree rail section to be installed without
existing subway beneath the track. The of adjustments, both vertically and altering the position of the head of rail.
route of the subway leads under one of laterally. The Network Rail team led the
the altered platforms, with alterations to main JV contractor Costain / Hochtief The double resilience of the baseplate
the vertical alignment requiring a new to undertake the planning and control assembly provides a dynamic stiffness
‘lid’ for the subway in order to lower the the work. The specialist subcontractor of about 20 kN/mm, and is considerably
track. This was further compounded Cleshar was appointed to install the softer than the ballast track at either side.
by the need to change rail sections at structural ‘lid’ and track works. The ‘lid’ The location is on a ‘through platform’ at
a later stage, so that the design had itself was cast by the Irish prefabricator Reading station and
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The photographs and illustrations are
reproduced from the Network Rail
website for the project.
The prefabricated concrete ‘lid’ during the delivery and training of the
installation team
bi-directional movement of trains had platform area starting from the standard
to be considered. Additionally, the line G44 sleepers in ballast is from about
speed varies between passenger and 60 kN/mm, to 30 kN/mm on bearers of The interior of the pedestrian
freight trains, which also have different the transition, to 20 kN/mm on the ‘lid’ of subway with high surface quality
axle loads, and loading is made more the subway, then returning to 30 kN/mm finishes and vibration attenuation
complex by braking and acceleration on the opposite transition and finally provided by Pandrol VIPA-SP
forces. It was decided to adopt a back to 60 kN/mm on ballast. baseplates supporting the
transition length on each side of the track overhead
subway ‘lid’, over which the stiffness Advice and training was provided on site
of the track could be increased in small to the specialist subcontractor Cleshar
steps to approximate that of the normal on best practice for the installation of
ballasted track. In this way the stiffness the baseplates following the delivery
transition could be smoothed, reducing of the precast concrete ‘lid’ unit, and
the impact loads and moving them along also an adjustment to the track after the
the track and away from the structure. positioning by crane.
The transitions were created using The expanded station opened to the
pre-stressed concrete bearers supplied public in Spring 2013, although some
by Cemex Rail, which were delivered areas outside the station continue to be
to site fully fitted with the Pandrol improved and the final completion of
VIPA-SP baseplates. These baseplates the project is scheduled for Spring 2015.
included rail pads selected to increase
the stiffness of the assembly and provide
the necessary small step changes in
the overall resilience of the track. This
resulted in the track stiffness changing
progressively over the various track The concrete ‘lid’ of the subway
structures. The change in the stiffness after installation and opening
of the track as trains pass along the to traffic
Pandrol VIPA
On the Coleraine Bridge, Northern Ireland
The bridge over the River Bann at Coleraine in Northern Ireland forms part of
the rail route between Belfast and Londonderry. The route to Londonderry has
been described among the most scenic railway journeys in the UK, ranking
alongside Fort William to Mallaig, and Settle to Carlisle.
The refurbishment of the Bann Bridge, a well-known landmark and lifting bridge, is a key part of
the upgrade for the Belfast to Londonderry route, in order to increase line speed over the bridge,
as part of the route improvements prior to the appointment of Londonderry as the ‘European City
of Culture for 2013.’
The current activity, the first of three The track on the fixed spans comprises The Pandrol VIPA-SP baseplate was
phases, includes bridge works, track shallow ballast in the trough of the fitted to timber sleepers prior to
refurbishment and a total renewal of the bridge, which is reinforced with delivery for the ballast sections, and
two end sections of line. The Coleraine transverse steel ribs creating fluctuating fitted directly to the timber deck on the
to Londonderry section of track dates ballast depth and irregular sleeper bascule lifting span.
back to the 1970s and its condition had spacing making tamping difficult.
deteriorated significantly due to age and The successful conclusion of the
other factors. The lifting span is an open lattice steel refurbishment has permitted the
structure decked with timber planks. increased line speeds over the bridge,
The purpose of these works was to carry and extending the life of this 89 year
out a renewal of the track to ensure that The increased mass of new trains and old structure for another 30 years.
services can continue to operate for the the stiffer bogies increases the impact The route between Belfast and
next 30 years. and vibration forces. This resulted in the Londonderry has been saved for a
choice of the Pandrol VIPA-SP system to further generation allowing the coastal
The bridge is a multi-span steel mitigate the vibrations and attenuate route to be enjoyed through the period
structure with a central bascule lifting impact strains in the structure. of the Londonderry European City of
span to permit access of river traffic Culture, and into the future.
into Coleraine.
WEB www.pandrol.com 7
BANN BRIDGE FACTS
• 11 Span viaduct
Pandrol Fastclip
FE Installation,
Malaysia
Author: Ross Simpson, Track Manager (Technical)
MMC Gamuda Joint Venture, Malaysia
The 330km Ipoh – Padang Besar route in Malaysia forms an important part
of the Bangkok – Singapore rail connection. Currently the infrastructure
consists of a single metre gauge non-electrified track on a sinuous alignment.
The infrastructure is life expired and a major improvement programme is
now underway.
The line is being doubled, electrified Pre-assembly of the fastening A return visit was made to de-stress the
and curves eased. The trackform is being components was carried out at the track length. The opportunity was taken
renewed with new concrete sleepers, factory using a Factory Assembly Tool. to use Vortok Stressing Rollers. These
rail and ballast. When this work is The opportunity was also taken to fit are rollers that combine the function of
completed, new electric train units a Studded EVA Pad which offers low underoller and side roller in one easy to
will travel the route at speeds of up stiffness with high durability and low use unit.
to 140km/h. cost instead of a studded natural
rubber pad. The sleepers are now under traffic and
Sleepers with Pandrol Fastclip FC are the test section is expected to remain
being used but the opportunity has Installation of the sleepers took place under main line traffic for a period
been provided by KTMB to install a just south of Bukit Mertajam Station of one year at which time it will be
short test section fitted with the latest under the supervision of MMC-Gamuda recovered, componentry inspected and a
Pandrol Fastclip FE system during Joint Venture who are the main performance report produced. An interim
the construction staging and contractor for the project. Laying of the inspection after six months of traffic has
migration works. sleepers was carried out by an excavator confirmed that the components remain
fitted with special lifting hooks. Rail in excellent condition.
Like the older Pandrol Fastclip FC, the threading was easily accomplished and
Pandrol Fastclip FE system is a resilient, it was found that the revised design of
threadless rail fastening system with sidepost insulator made this process
the unique Pandrol Switch On – even easier than it is with the Pandrol
Switch Off System that enables fast Fastclip FC system.
efficient track installation and reduced
maintenance costs. Clipping up was by hand using latest
standard Fastclip handtools provided by
Pandrol Fastclip FC sleeper moulds were Pandrol, and comments from the crew
modified by Mastrack who have been were that it was easier and quicker to
producing concrete sleepers in Malaysia clip up than the earlier system.
since 1982. This mould was then used
to produce 100 sleepers for the
test installation.
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Finished Pandrol Fastclip FE
sleepers being checked at the
Installation of sleepers at site
Mastrack factory
Pandrol
Fastclip FE
On London Underground Limited, UK
The new 1502 is a high quality sleeper, This new system is a bespoke solution complete with all components ready
produced by Cemex Rail Solutions which for London Underground and has to thread the rails onto the sleepers
provides improved reliability, greater been developed in response to the and automatically drive the clips onto
longevity and offers faster installation growing need to construct track faster, the rails.
of new track. safer and at a lower cost with reduced
maintenance requirements. It comes The first installation was a ballasted
The major innovation of the new sleeper complete with all insulators and pads track renewal on the Metropolitan line
is that it is pre-assembled incorporating installed into the ‘parked’ position, between North Harrow and Harrow
the Pandrol Fastclip FE fastening which mechanically hold the side post on the Hill, on the Southbound
system, using the highly efficient insulators and pads in place. This allows Local (SBLO).
FE1404 clip, which is designed for five existing on-site steps to be reduced
automated installation. to just one as the sleepers arrive on site
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Sleeper Installation
Stressing
Stressing of the site commenced at During re-railing trials the system was Construction (NTC) train, the new system
11.00am on Monday four hours ahead proven to be twice as quick as the will enable the Track Partnership team
of schedule and was completed by previous system in use on the London to make huge steps towards increasing
4.00pm. Sleepers were unclipped and Underground network. productivity and efficiency on London
re-clipped using a combination of Robel Underground as part of its drive for a
34.01 machines, with no problems Introducing the new sleeper has been world class underground for a world
encountered during this process. no simple task. It has required extensive class city.
co-ordination across the whole
Vortok Stressing Rollers (VSR’s) were network and the supply organisations.
also used during the destress. When installed with the New Track
Rail Fastenings
for Heavy Haul
Applications
Author: David Rhodes, Former Technical Director
at Pandrol Ltd, UK
The following article summarises work which has been presented recently in more
detail at the International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA) meetings in Calgary in
2011 and New Delhi in 2013 and at the “3rd Railway Gathering” organised by ANTF
at Juiz de Fora, Brazil, at the end of 2011.
On the face of it, rail fastenings are not Heavy Haul operators are such that quite all makes the fastening specification
required to do anything more in Heavy different approaches to track component a critical factor in keeping railways
Haul applications than they are in any design are usually necessary. running smoothly, but in the case of the
other railway. Heavier rail sections and Heavy Haul railways three additional
closer sleeper spacing can compensate The detail design of rail fastening factors are highlighted which combine
for higher axle loads and the loading systems affects parameters such as track to make these requirements even
on the fastenings does not need to gauge, track stiffness and rail inclination, more challenging.
be any higher than usual. However, in all of which affect, in turn, wheel-rail
practice the demands of the specialist interface mechanics. Of course that
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High Annual Passing Tonnage
Firstly, compared with conventional activities which would be discounted as re-railing, is being carried out. That
railways, the annual passing tonnage of to negligible net present value on a suggests that considerable savings can
Heavy Haul railways can be very high. conventional railway, because they be made by ensuring that the life of
In conventional applications 20 million would occur so far in the future, are fastening components exceeds the life
tonnes per annum constitutes quite much more significant on the Heavy of the rail – and that becomes more of a
a busy line. In Heavy Haul operations Haul railway. challenge as rail lives are extended, with
200 million tonnes per annum is not the major US Heavy Haul railways now
unusual. The obvious effect of that At the detailed level of the rail expecting rail to last for 3 billion tonnes
is that if components still require fastenings the cost of maintenance and of traffic in tangent track. In the case
maintenance or replacement after the replacement does not lie in the cost of of a Heavy Haul line with high annual
same accumulated passing tonnage, that the components themselves but in the passing tonnage the net present
maintenance requirement is reached in cost of labour and track closures. There value of such savings is high enough
a much shorter elapsed time. What is are considerable economic benefits in to justify investment in more
less obvious is the effect which that has replacing small track components only durable components.
on life cycle cost analysis. Maintenance when other maintenance work, such
Secondly, the effects of traction forces train after train, can induce track failure Tests carried out on several railways
on longitudinal track stresses can be modes not seen elsewhere. Usually the over a number of years have shown that
very significant. For most railways, first sign of failure is uneven movement different types of rail pad which have
once track has been designed to cope of sleepers which become skewed similar performance in conventional
with forces due to thermal expansion and displaced relative to the rails type-approval tests do, nevertheless,
and contraction of the track and the and the ballast. give quite different performance in
maximum expected braking forces then terms of mitigating the effects of high
it will by default be strong enough to The solution to the problem lies in the traction forces.
withstand the applied traction forces. design construction and maintenance of
In Heavy Haul applications that is not a high quality track bed and in attention
the case. On uphill grades the sustained to the selection of rail fastenings with
application of high traction forces, appropriate longitudinal shear elasticity.
Extreme Climates
Finally the Heavy Haul railways are plastics. Within the rail fastenings system The other thing which does not function
unusual in demanding all of these plastics are used to provide electrical so well in extreme climates is the human
things in some of the most hostile insulation, resilience and sometimes body! This may not sound like a technical
environments our planet has to offer. sacrificial wear elements. Materials such issue but the fact is that we still expect
As deposits of minerals - especially as nylon function well in most climates to use a great deal of manual labour for
iron ore – are exploited in ever more but are softened in hot, wet conditions track construction and maintenance.
inaccessible places it becomes necessary and become brittle in dry conditions. When Heavy Haul lines are built in
to construct railways which can be built, A significant amount of work is being inaccessible and inhospitable places the
operated and maintained in extreme undertaken to find additives which can pressures to introduce more automation
climatic conditions. For components mitigate these effects or to evaluate the and to extend maintenance intervals
made from steel and concrete that use of completely different engineering are increased because of the additional
is not too difficult, but there are two polymers which may not give the best human factors which must be taken
things in particular which function quite performance in “average” conditions into account.
differently at extremes of temperature but which work acceptably well across a
and humidity. The biggest technical wide range of extreme environments.
problems are those associated with
Most Heavy Haul railways which are established technical standards take into Simply adopting technical specifications
being planned or built today are account the kind of factors which have from one railway and applying them to
proposed not by established railways been discussed above. To make it even another in a different part of the world
but by mining companies. The railway more difficult, technical standards which is rarely sufficient. The Heavy Haul
becomes a part of the mining project exist within individual railway networks railway industry has an enviable record
because it is the most economical and are closely interdependent. For example, of sharing technical knowledge through
reliable way to move bulk commodities the calculation of the loads which are organisations such as IHHA. It is through
from source to consumer and so in applied to test a sleeper or rail fastening that process that best practice can
most cases the whole job of designing, system is based on assumptions about be ‘exported’ to new and more
building and even operating the railway the stiffness and consistency of the track challenging projects.
is put out to competitive tender in bed. That in turn is based on another
the same way as any other capital assumption, that track maintenance
investment. That process requires a limits specified elsewhere in the system
specification of technical performance will be observed – and those limits
which can be written into a commercial are based on empirical assessment of
contract. The problem is that no particular track and traffic conditions.
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Pandrol ZLR
(Zero Longitudinal Restraint)
For Kellingley Colliery, UK
Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) has provided great benefits to railways all over
the world by eliminating rail expansion joints and hence reducing maintenance
costs. In order to account for the removal of these expansion joints, rails are
usually pre-tensioned at installation, so that rails are stress free when their
temperature is circa 27°C. This is referred to as the stress free temperature (SFT),
and when combined with a good ballast profile and a robust fastening system
the track should be resistant to buckling during the peak summer temperatures.
Engineers manage their ‘safety of line’ the coal laterally across the 350m ‘face’ The large associated longitudinal ground
responsibilities by understanding the of the panel and the roof of the resulting movements which are generated have
SFT and track condition across the routes void is deliberately allowed to collapse a significant and detrimental impact on
under their control. For most railway behind the extraction machinery. the SFT across the length of the CWR
engineers this is a routine and well These panels of coal, which are around affected. In order to keep the track
understood engineering concept. 2.4km long, are remote from the pit open to traffic, it became necessary to
head, and at Kellingley Colliery the coal measure the SFT in the rails daily and
However, introduce nearly 1.5m of extraction starts about 11km away and re-stress the track every weekend during
ground movement beneath the track retreats back towards the mine shaft via the rapid settlement phase. The degree
from mining subsidence, and the tracks underground roadways. of compression and tension induced
resistance to buckling can change into the rails as the ground moves
remarkably quickly. In order to keep Subsidence can occur relatively quickly, longitudinally is illustrated by the strain
trains running safely, maintenance teams the rate of surface settlement has been profile graph. The centre of the site is
have to be available around the clock known to exceed 200mm per week known as the compressive zone; here
to carry out preventative and remedial during rapid settlement. As the coal the ground may experience compression
works as they arise. face passes beneath the railway at a of up to 3mm/metre. At the extremities
relative angle of 50º the location of peak of the site the ground experiences up
This is the challenge posed by the settlement moves along the track. The to 1.5mm/metre of tensile strain and
current mine workings from Kellingley development of the subsidence basin is therefore referred to as the tensile
Colliery in Yorkshire. The mine operator can create differential settlement across zone. Under normal circumstances
is extracting the coal in ‘blocks’ referred the rails, and has resulted in isolated the tensile and compressive strains in
to as panels, from a seam almost 3m increases in cross level of up to 10mm, as the ground are transferred to the rails
thick, at a depth of 800m below the well as laterally shifting the track by up through the ballast and sleepers and
surface. The method, known as ‘longwall’ to 75mm. thus the SFT is altered significantly
retreat mining, mechanically extracts as the mining progresses. If no
intervention occurs, the compressive of the Main Southern Railway, operated closing of adjustment switches, hence
force developing in the centre of the by Australian Rail Track Corporation avoiding build up of excessive rail stress.
site could result in a reduction of SFT (ARTC). A review of methods used on
of 240ºC (increase in compression of ARTC and Network Rail infrastructure Kellingley Colliery’s operations will be
580MPa). A significant loss of SFT could identified similarities in practices and affecting Network Rail’s assets both
rapidly lead to a track buckle, even at management approaches, however on the Wakefield to Goole line (WAG1)
winter weather temperatures. In the it became clear that the Australian and East Coast Main Line (ECM2)
tensile zones an increase in SFT of 120ºC engineers had developed a novel, during the next six to eight years. Up to
(increase in tension of 290MPa) could effective, and low cost methodology 2 miles of track on each route will be
be experienced, which could lead to rail based upon the concept of the Pandrol affected, as several panels of coal are
fracturing or curved track displacing Zero Longitudinal Restraint (ZLR) or ‘rail worked from two separate seams of
laterally especially during the winter. free’ system. coal. Therefore the development of the
most effective method of managing the
The traditional methods of correcting The methodology introduced multiple sites was an essential part of the asset
these huge SFT variations during sets of adjustment switches and ZLR management process.
the British Rail era place an almost fastenings into the affected CWR,
unmanageable demand on Network intermediate short ‘anchor’ lengths For the most recent panel, YZ502 in the
Rail’s resources, with the associated high of traditionally fastened rail prevent Beeston seam, Network Rail opted to
labour costs being passed onto the mine migration of the rail under traffic. install seven sets of adjustment switches
operator. The need for a less resource This effectively splits the rails into in each of the two tracks on WAG1,
intensive and more cost effective track multiple sections which span through covering both tensile and compressive
management technique led Network Rail the compressive and tensile zones. zones. In addition to the use of Pandrol
to investigate best practice from other Adjustment switches are frequently ZLR assemblies, short anchors consisting
railways experiencing similar used in the UK to protect jointed track, of standard Pandrol components were
sub-surface mining issues. un-strengthened switches and crossings located centrally between adjustment
or novel track designs on bridge decks switches in order to prevent the rail from
Personal contact was made with from the forces induced in adjoining migrating under traffic. Network Rail
Australian consultant railway engineers CWR, however adjustment switches also worked with suppliers to develop
Allan Pidgeon and Graeme Robinson, had not previously been used in this rail strain and adjustment switch gap
working for Hyder Consulting in Sydney, ‘free rail’ configuration. monitoring equipment. This resulted in
and site visits to New South Wales 88 strain gauges with rail temperature
(NSW) Australia were arranged. This The rails were held in position with the sensors and 56 linear potentiometers
facilitated discussion on similarity in Pandrol ZLR assembly; this isolated the being installed and monitored from
operating conditions and current asset rail from the effects of the ground strain seven trackside control stations. The
management practices in both countries. by allowing it to move independently of data was remotely interrogated allowing
In NSW the mining industry needed to the sleepers. This effective decoupling engineers to assess system conditions
demonstrate to regulators that they of rail and sleeper allows movement due on a daily basis. It was demonstrated
were able to work coal from beneath the to ground strain and thermal expansion that rail movement from both thermal
railway, without affecting the operability to be accommodated by the opening or forces and subsidence ground strain
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migrated through the ZLR fastenings new ZLR Fastclip toe-insulator to be over the course of the settlement.
and was accommodated by the procured, which proved impractical The large deformations and structural
adjustment switches, which had to prior to the onset of mining activity failures help to demonstrate the
be periodically reset. during 2011. magnitude of the forces that develop
during subsidence, underlining the
The system significantly reduced the This required the two tracks to be nature of the challenge.
impact of ground strain avoiding managed slightly differently. Both the
build up of excessive rail stress. Up and Down lines had adjustment The timing of coal production from
Additionally the remote monitoring, switches installed throughout, however Kellingley Colliery resulted in the next
with pre-set trigger levels, alerted the absence of ZLR fastenings on panel affecting the railway beginning
engineers to the development of any the G44 sleepers on the Down line Autumn 2012. This provided the track
abnormal conditions. resulted in the ground strain being engineering team adequate time to
transferred from the sleepers into the prepare themselves and the operational
As predicted, it was observed that rail. Throughout this G44 length, rail railway for the next challenge presented
the gaps in the adjustment switches stresses built up more significantly than by one of the largest operational deep
closed within the compressive zone and in the adjacent F27 and F40 sleepers, mines in the UK. With international
widened within the tensile zones. Using thus proving the effectiveness of the ZLR co-operation Network Rail learnt a lot
strain profiles and coal face position, assemblies. In order to manage this build during 2011 and 2012 and these systems
it was possible to predict when remedial up the Pandrol Fastclip’s were unclipped will continue to be developed in the
action may be required. The remedial regularly during active settlement years to come.
work predominantly consisted of allowing the stresses to equalise along
re-setting the adjustment switches. the rail. Whilst this proved a valuable Nigel Keightley would like to thank
This was achieved by removing narrow learning experience, Network Rail will be Network Rail’s maintenance and route
slices of rail around adjustment switches installing ZLR Fastclip toe-insulators in asset management teams for delivering
in the compressive zone, or the insertion the G44 sleepers for future worksites. this phase of the work, as well as Allan
of wide gap aluminothermic welds, to Pidgeon and Graeme Robinson for their
close up the adjustment switches in the At the limits of the site anchor resistance advice on the lead up to this project, and
tensile zones. plates were established within the CWR, Ross Barber Team Manager, ATRC Moss
together with traditional rail anchors Vale for facilitating the site visits.
The ZLR assembly design received this provided added longitudinal
Network Rail product approval for resistance against migration of rail at
both the older F27 and the more recent the boundary between conventional
F40 sleepers, with a solution based track and the ZLR system.
around the Pandrol e-Clip fastening.
In addition there were a large number The track asset, which has now
of G44 sleepers in one track on the undergone almost 1.5m of subsidence,
site, employing the Pandrol Fastclip has been managed without incident. The
fastening, where an alternative design structures and buildings adjacent to the
had to be derived. This required a track have however suffered significantly
Vortok AWS
Magnets
For Network Rail, UK
In the UK, trains are prevented from passing through a red “stop” light by a
system known as AWS (Automatic Warning System). A pair of magnets are
placed in the track some 200m before a signal. A passing train detects the
first magnet and the system is armed for automatic application of the brakes.
Depending on the state of the second magnet, the brake signal is either
cancelled or applied. The driver receives a visual and audible warning in the cab
and must acknowledge the warning or the brakes are applied automatically.
This system is active on the majority of lines in the UK and has successfully
reduced incidents since its full introduction in the 1950s. There are currently
no plans to replace the system.
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The Magnet Design
It was against this Over time the seals gave way and water
ingress was the main failure mode,
background in 2005, exacerbated by fractured insulation on
the coils and supply wires.
Vortok received a call
from a senior engineer The coils were directly powered from
the line side supply and with changes in
at Network Rail temperature the resistance of the coils
requesting that we look changed so the magnet field strength
varied. If the cable run to the AWS unit
at developing a modern were long then the variation of flux could
be significant and missed signals were Drilling the sleepers
version that eliminated often reported by drivers.
the problems with the Vortok listened to the main objections
existing magnets. and the desires of the installers and
maintenance teams and incorporated
Vortok have been developing products the feedback into the design of the
for the railways for many years and have current product range. The fundamental
gained a reputation for innovation and enabler for the new design was the use of
success with many railway authorities, modern rare earth magnets (Neodymium
including Network Rail. It was as a result Iron Boron - NdFeB). This material has
of our development of the temporary a high flux density for its mass and so
AWS magnets used for speed restrictions powerful magnets can be made very
at worksites that lead to this enquiry. much smaller than the ferrite equivalent.
This permitted a much smaller format
The design of the AWS units is based
unit to be designed which removed the
on a combination of magnets and coils
need for a “sump” on the unit, the weight
which enabled the signaller to control
could be reduced and a common form Typical BMS installation for ERTMS
a magnetic flux field to be picked up by
factor could be used for the entire range.
the passing train. The magnets are either
Another significant advantage of the
a permanent magnet, an electromagnet
NdFeB magnets is that they are virtually
or a suppressed magnet (a permanent
impossible to demagnetise and so there is
magnet that can have its field turned off
no gradual degradation in the field.
by an opposing coil). In the event of a
trackside power outage the system failed The modern control electronics uses a
safe and all trains stopped. feedback system so that no matter what
the temperature, the flux emanating from
The 1950s’ design of AWS magnets used
the top of the unit could be controlled
ferrite magnets, rubber or cork insulation,
accurately. The electronics used a Pulse
pitch potting, cotton wound coils
Width Modulating (PWM) power supply to
and shellac lacquers. A ferrite magnet
the coil which enabled full control of the
cannot produce a strong magnetic
current and power demand. This control
field and so the magnets were large to
also enabled the response times to be
compensate. Ferrite magnets also have a
tailored to suit the needs of the signalling
poor resistance to being demagnetised
system, balancing current draw against
by external fields and so every time the Typical single frame installation
response time.
suppressed magnet was turned on, the
ferrites strength was diminished. Over a The enclosure for the magnets was made
period of time the magnets performance very small and compact and achieved
fell outside the design specification an IP67 rating - they can run underwater
and the magnet had to be replaced and even if the trains cannot. As can be seen
serviced. This was particularly true of the from the image on page 23, the AWS unit
extra strength (“green”) version. was submerged at 1m depth in the finest
quality seawater that could be found in
Due to the amount of ferrite required
Plymouth - without a drop getting in!
to produce the flux field, the magnets
were large and contained a “sump” which With the size, weight, reliability and
displaced ballast between extra widely performance all addressed the focus
spaced sleepers. The weight of the units turned to the installation issues.
was significant and lifting equipment
was essential to install and remove them
from track.
WEB www.pandrol.com 21
Pandrol Victor
For Norfolk Southern Railways, USA
Norfolk Southern Railroad had been looking for a heavy duty 18” tie plate with
an elastic fastening system for use on timber ties, but all of the tie plates on the
market with elastic fasteners had a smaller footprint. In 2005 Pandrol answered
the call and introduced the Pandrol Victor plate. It had the same footprint as a
standard asymmetrical 18” AREMA tie plate and incorporated a cast swaged-in
shoulder that utilized a standard Pandrol e-Clip to secure the rail to the plate.
The initial design utilized screw spikes to Norfolk Southern installed the first Pandrol With the success at Maher, additional
fasten the plate to the tie. Since Norfolk Victor plates with cut spikes in August installations of Pandrol Victor plates were
Southern is primarily a cut spike railroad, 2007 in Maher, WV. The location was in a made at strategic locations around our
this design was not compatible with 6.0-degree curve (290m radius) on a system, including open deck bridges.
their line maintenance and production 0.09-inch grade with 3.5” (90mm) of NS specifically targeted locations where
gang work. The added steps to drill holes super elevation and carried mainly coal reverse rail cant was an issue. The
and screw down the plate compared to trains totalling around 40 MGT annually. installation of Pandrol Victor plates in
simply driving cut spikes with our current These plates were monitored periodically these curves provided the needed rail
equipment added more manpower and and found to perform well with respect restraint to prevent rail rollover.
expense than we thought necessary. to reduced tie plate cutting and gauge
Therefore, NS urged Pandrol to modify widening, reducing maintenance
the Pandrol Victor plate design to required for this curve. The reduced track
incorporate the use of cut spikes to secure degradation was verified with subsequent
the plate to the ties. And they responded. runs of the Track Geometry Car.
WEB www.pandrol.com 23
Pandrol
CDM Track
Pandrol CDM Track (PCT), formerly CDM The company has its own in-house test
Track, is a European company based facility, where a continuous programme
in Belgium, specialising in the design, of testing and development ensures
manufacture and implementation of it is able to comply with any technical
noise and vibration isolation solutions. specifications that the rail market
With more than 60 years experience in may demand.
the industry, PCT offers a complete range Pandrol CDM Track was acquired by
of cutting-edge solutions to guarantee Pandrol Track Systems in January 2014.
elasticity at every level in ballasted tracks,
slab tracks and embedded rail systems.
If you need to design a tramway track, PCT Track quality starts with the rail pads. Standard
has the solution to make it quiet, sustainable, rail pads (PCT-SRP) and resilient rail pads (PCT-
cost effective and good looking. DRP) are produced in four different materials
to cope with any technical specification.
For design without sleepers, the easy-to-
install PCT-Q(uiet)track offers excellent Under sleeper pads (PCT-USP) are produced
lateral stability, high electrical resistivity in different materials and designed for specific
and multiple choices for the finishing When embedded sleepers or direct requirements. Soft USPs designed for light axle
layer. You can choose between three levels fasteners are designed, PCT-F(lexi) track loads give high vibration attenuation while
of vibration mitigation and combine it and PCT covers are custom-made to intermediate and stiff USPs are the solution for
with a floating slab to cope with any kind completely de-couple both the rail and mixed traffic, transition zones, main lines and
of urban environment. In rehabilitation fasteners from the concrete and provide high-speed tracks.
projects, PCT offers the possibility of the necessary protection for a
integrating QTRACK in precast concrete high-quality track. It is also possible to have high vibration
modules to minimise the installation time mitigation in ballasted track with under ballast
and local disruption to road traffic. For special applications, such as level mats (PCT-UBM). Made in resin-bounded
crossings or flood / fire gates, you can rubber they are easy to install without joints,
encapsulate your rails with the resistant to any climatic conditions, and
poured-in-situ PCT-P(oured) track. deployable in various thicknesses.
Slab Tracks
Pandrol
CDMUSP System
Under Sleeper Pads have been installed Right from their first installation, great The same applies in reverse, too. The
since the 1990s and are now a proven benefits were identified by using degree of each type of benefit depends
technology that can be used to manage USPs. These applied especially in primarily on the stiffness of the pads.
track stiffness, increase track quality, and transition zones, on turnouts, bridges,
control vibration levels in track. and in tunnels. Now, following years
of experience, and also because of an Increases ballast contact area
The Under Sleeper Pad (USP) provides a increase in the volume of concrete
simple way of modifying the stiffness of sleepers being installed, use of USPs
ballasted track with an attractive cost- is becoming common practice on
benefit ratio, by adding an elastic layer to permanent way owners such as: DB
the underside of the sleeper. (Germany), SNCF (France), ÖBB (Austria),
ADIF (Spain), INFRABEL (Belgium), REFER
In the PCT-USP system a resilient (Portugal), SBB (Switzerland), etc.
material (usually Resin Bonded Rubber or
Thermoplastic Elastomer) is fixed to the The application of USPs can be divided
sleeper either by means of glue or using in two broad areas: track quality
the unique CDM-MFF® technology as improvement and noise and vibration
described below. The pad fully or partially control. However these are not mutually
covers the bottom surface of the sleeper. exclusive, so that, for example, even when
This improves the maintainability and the a USP is designed to target track quality
quality of the track, and can also provide improvements, there will also be some
vibration mitigation. degree of noise and vibration isolation.
Improvement of
Track Quality Improvements
may be achieved thanks to a better
load distribution
load distribution and a reduction
in the pressure on the ballast and
superstructure brought about by
the insertion of the elastic material
between ballast and sleeper.
WEB www.pandrol.com 25
Track Quality Improvement
Noise and Vibration Control
Noise and vibration control is achieved
a. Ballast protection: as a result of d. Mitigate the effects of local
thanks to the insertion of an elastic layer
the track quality improvement, discontinuities: such as differences
between the rigid concrete sleeper and
the intervals required between in track settlement, hanging
the stiff ballast. The level of vibration
levelling, lining and tamping can sleepers, differences in stiffness of
reduction will depend on the stiffness
be approximately doubled the soil, etc
of the material introduced.
b. Possibility of reduced ballast e. Ideal for use in transition zones: to
10
thickness: from 30 to 20cm due to mitigate differences in settlement 5
the better load distribution or step changes stiffness. Can be 0
lL (dBv)
used on the approach and running -5
c. Possibility of reduction of rail off area for bridges, transitions -10
corrugations, especially in tight between track construction types, -15
radius curves: grinding intervals rail expansion joints, control short -20
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
may be more than doubled bridges responses, etc Frequency (Hz)
The benefits of using USPs have been With over 40 years’ experience in the field once the sleeper has been produced by
substantiated by in-situ measurements of noise and vibration control, and more means of glue, or it can be fixed during
and numerous studies such as the UIC than 20 years’ experience designing, sleeper production thanks to CDM-MFF®
project ‘Under Sleeper Pads in Track’ in producing and supplying USPs, Pandrol technology. CDM-MFF® is a Micro Fibre
which 12 European countries and Japan CDM Track is able to provide high quality Fastener layer attached to the resilient
conducted one of the biggest research PCT-USP products based on its main layer, which facilitates a direct bond
programs ever carried out on the subject. core materials: Resin Bonded Rubber (RR) between concrete and the USP. This
The project included several laboratory and Thermoplastics Elastomers (TPE). bonding has been proved to be very
and in-track tests which demonstrated As a result of its wide materials portfolio, effective - reaching strength values of up
the advantages of using USPs both for PCT-USP can provide a static stiffness to 1.0 MPa - which is well in excess of the
track improvement and for noise and range that goes from 0.068 up to 0.25 0.4 MPa required by DIN 45673-6. Bonding
vibration control. N/mm³ for RR materials and from 0.216 strength is an important factor since
up to 0.40 N/mm³ for TPE materials. during track laying the sleeper is subjected
It is important to note that all of the above to pull off forces as it is handled and
mentioned benefits have a direct impact These satisfy the high level of technical installed into the track. CDM-MFF® ensures
on track maintenance costs. USPs will requirements on this type of product. that the resilient pads will be bonded to
reduce maintenance activities such as PCT-USP has been tested at the Technical the concrete sleeper at all times.
tamping, ballast cleaning, grinding, etc. University of Munich according to the
In some cases, the time interval between German standard DIN 45673-6. Both the 1
Under Sleeper Pads in Track – The UIC Project.
maintenance interventions has almost standard and the homologation body are European Railway Review, Vol. 19, Issue 2, 2013.
Auer, F., et.al.
doubled. A reduction of 32% in the life recognized worldwide.
cycle cost has been estimated for tangent
track fitted with USPs and subject to more Regardless of the material type and
than 70,000 gross tons per day.1 the stiffness, PCT-USP may be installed
Pandrol
Fastclip FCA
The Pandrol Fastclip FCA has been designed for use on slab tracks where vertical
adjustment is required. The system is suitable for use with all forms of pre-
cast elements (block, twin block or slab). These may in turn be either cast-in,
or resiliently mounted. Alternative configurations with a plastic construction
plate that allow for wet pour, top-down construction are also possible for some
applications. Pandrol Fastclip FCA can be assembled at the sleeper factory and
delivered to site captive on the pre-cast element.
1 2
The pre-assembled plastic construction plate ready for Assembly attached to the rail ready for concrete pour to
attaching to rail. underside of construction plate. Clips in the parked position.
WEB www.pandrol.com 27
Installation in pre-cast elements
Installation (block, twin block or slab)
1 2 3
Plastic sub-plate and anchor inserts Cast shoulders locate on plastic Anchor bolt torqued to secure
cast into pre-cast element. sub-plate. cast shoulders.
4 5 6
Rail pad and post insulators installed in Pandrol Fastclip fastenings are installed Once the sleepers are placed and the rail
the rail seat. into the parked position. The finished has been threaded, clips are driven from
concrete elements would normally be the parked to the working position.
delivered to the construction site in
this configuration.
Features of Assembly
Pandrol
VIPA DFC
Pandrol VIPA DFC has been designed for use on slab tracks where a typical vertical
system stiffness of 20-25 kN/mm is required, for applications on LRT, Metro, high
speed and other non-ballasted tracks. The Pandrol Fastclip fastening allows for
efficient stressing and rail maintenance. The assembly is optimised for top down
construction with embedded pre-cast elements but is also suitable for installation
on pre-cast slab systems. Pandrol VIPA DFC can be assembled at the sleeper factory
and delivered to the site captive on the sleeper or block.
Components:
WEB www.pandrol.com 29
Installation Pre-Assembly Process
1 2 3
The sleeper is supplied with a cast-in A field side clamp is positioned on the The baseplate (with sidepost insulators/
SGI iron shoulder on the field side and field side SGI shoulder. rail pad and baseplate pad already in
a cast-in plastic insert on the gauge position underneath it) is then slid into
side of the rail seat. engagement with the field side clamp.
4 5 6
The gauge side clamp is then positioned Pandrol Fastclip Fastenings are installed Once the sleepers are placed and the rail
and bolted down. into the parked position. The fastenings has been threaded, clips are driven from
would normally be delivered to the the parked to the working position.
construction site in this configuration.
Features of Assembly
Design by vividcreative.com 31
PANDROL VANGUARD installed on the Golden Horn Bridge Istanbul, Turkey.