1

SCMS COLLEGE OF POLYTECHNICS ,

VAIKKARA , PERUMBAVOOR

SEMINAR PRESENTATION
ON
BALLASTLESS TRACK

PRESENTED BY,
ANAGHA P K • GUIDED BY,
S5 CIVIL • RESHMA BABU
ROLL NO-4 • LECTURER, CE
CIVIL DEPARTMENT
 INTRODUCTION 2

• Ballastless track is a modern type of track system used widely all over the world .
• This technology is used in Metro Rail Systems in India (Kochi Metro, Delhi Metro, Bangalore
Metro, Chennai Metro etc.)
• Ballastless track is a practically maintenance free track system.

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BALLASTLESS TRACK

• It is the Track where the ballast is replaced with a concrete slab, asphalt slab or
steel base

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TOPICS

• Construction and Types

• Rail Fastening System
• Advantages and disadvantages

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TYPES OF BALLASTLESS TRACK SYSTEM

• Plinth Type
• Slab Type
• Embedded Track System
• Prefabricated Slab system

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1.Plinth Type

• Used in Elevated Sections

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2.Slab Type

• Used in Tunnels

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 3.Embedded Rail System 8

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 4.Prefabricated Slab System 9

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 STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION
• Top Down method is used in construction
1. Surveying
2. Transporting rails to the site
3. Welding of rails
4. Supports the rail in gauge
supporting frames
5. Checking the horizontal and
vertical alignment
6. Reinforcement tying
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7. Shuttering work
8. Checking of track parameters
9. Pouring of concrete
10. Final checking of track
parameters
11. Destressing of rails
12. Testing and Commissioning
BALLASTLESS TRACK
 Surveying 11

• Centerline is provided by Civil team in the viaduct/tunnel

• Temporary

. Bench mark (TBM) marked at regular intervals
by installing steel plates
• Rail levels are taken from drawings
• Survey sheet is prepared from the available data and depth of
concrete is determined

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 Transportation of Rails 12

• High Capacity for lifting and lowering of rails, fittings &

Fastenings

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 Welding of Rails 13

Flash Butt Welding

• Most popular method

• Strength is more compared to any other method
• No additional chemicals or metals are required only parent
metal is consumed
• Strength is as good as the parent material

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 Setting the Rail using Gauge Supporting Frames 14

• Rail panels are lifted and placed using GSF

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 Checking the Vertical and Horizontal alignment 15

• Vertical alignment
• Horizontal alignment
• Gauge
• Cross-level

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 Reinforcement tying & Shuttering work 16

• After checking the track parameters reinforcements are tied

and shutters are placed with proper supports.

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 Pouring of Concrete 17

• Using Boom placer 3 hours for concreting 50 m track

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 Final checking of track parameters 18

• After completion of curing period, rails are lifted and

cleaned dummy plates are removed.
• Anchor bolts are checked for its looseness
• Loose anchor bolts are marked and grouted with
approved method and materials
• After tightening of all fittings, track parameters are
checked and corrected using eccentric bush and shim
pads
• Eccentric bush – for gauge and versine correction &
Shim pads – for rail level and cross level correction

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 Destressing of Rails 19

• It is used to prevent heat and cold tension after installation

of Continuous welded rails  (CWR). Environmental heat
causes CWR to expand and therefore can cause the fixed
track to buckle

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 Testing and Commissioning 20
• Testing and Commissioning (T&C) is a very important
phase, or series of activities, in the construction ballastless
rail system before it can be safely opened for commercial
operation

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 FASTENING SYSTEM 21

RAIL

FASTENER
RAIL PAD
SLEEPER

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Fastening System VOSSLOH 336-Exploded View 22

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FUNCTIONS OF FASTENING SYSTEM

• 6mm thick Rail pad on which the rails are mounted. This pad is meant to reduce high
frequency vibrations transmitted by rail under traffic. The pad has longitudinal groves to
accommodate compression under vertical loads.
• CI bearing plate, (Ribbed Plate) with 1 in 20 cant at the rail supporting surface to support
the rail on electric pad.
• Tension clamp SKL 12 to hold rails in correct position on the electric pad, the clamp being
tensional with a T-head bolt, washer and hexagon nut.

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FUNCTIONS OF FASTENING SYSTEM

• 10mm thick elastic pad below the CI bearing plate to reduce the noise and
vibrations transmitted by the rail after the initial screening of noise and vibrations
by the rail pad
• A 5-mm plastic pad (Intermediate pad) on which the Elastomeric pad is placed. Its
function is to provide a clean level surface for the Elastomeric pad to rest.
• Fastening arrangement to fix the CI bearing plate along with Elastomeric pad and
plastic pad to the concrete pedestal. The arrangement consists of anchor bolts,
insulating bush, helical spring, collared washer and self-locking hexagon nut

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ADVANTAGES OF BALLASTLESS TRACK

• Ballastless Track is practically a maintenance free track

• Long life Span
• Alignment of the track will remain steady throughout its
lifetime.
• Good Vibration absorbing capacity.
• Good Electric Insulator
• Very Low rail head wear.
• No buckling of track.
• Very low noise pollution

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DISADVANTAGES OF BALLASTLESS TRACK 26

• High initial cost.

• Construction is time consuming.
• Modification /Replacement of existing track is very
difficult.
• Conversion of Ballasted track to Ballastless track is very
difficult and time consuming

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CONCLUSION

• The development of railway transport has increased the demand for high speed trains, but in some
countries the rail freight also entered a new era, exposing the superstructures of railway tracks to
higher technical requirements. Simultaneously, an approach change has occured in
• terms of perception of superstructures because initially the aspects of construction works and the
safe transport were considered a priority, bringing the importance of maintenance to a
secondary role, but nowadays the economical, safety and environmental protection factors are
taken into account for the whole life cycle of the structures.

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 REFERENCES 28

 
1. Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. (2016), Track Manual, March.
2. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (2011), Kochi Metro Project Alwaye – Petta Corridor, Detailed Project Report, August
3. N. Kumar Pitchumani & Madhira R. Madhav (2013), A Field Monitoring Study on Pre-compression of Soft Deposit for
Ballastless Railway Tracks for Chennai Metro Rail: Evaluation of Compressibility Parameters
4. IRICEN (2016), Hand Book for Track Maintenance (pp.199-207),(pp.235-237), Indian Railway Institute of Civil
Engineering, Pune, India.
 

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THANK YOU