Investigating the Behavior of Railway Sleeper for Different Cases and Track Conditions by Using Analytical and Numerical Methods

Railway Sleepers are one of the most important elements in the track superstructure. Their tasks are keeping the track geometry, resisting against vertical and lateral train loads and transferring the train loads to the ballast layers. In this research, the railway sleeper as a beam on the elastic foundation is modeled with finite length. In this regard, two cases including a) beam with constant section and without weight b) beam with variable section and with considering weight are considered and simulated. The results indicate that the beam deflection increases 18.42 percent for the second case in comparison to the first case. Bending moment for the second case decreases 42 percent in the middle of sleeper and it increases 12.77 percent in the rail seat in comparison to the first case. Also in this paper, the effects of ballast coefficients according to the different track conditions are investigated. By increasing the ballast coefficients, beam deflection reduces. In the ranges of ballast coefficients 3 to 5 kg/cm3, bending moments in the rail seat and shear forces are approximately constant and they increase in the ranges of ballast coefficients 5 to 10 kg/cm3.