Why Are Railway Tracks Laid On Large Sized Concrete Wooden Sleepers?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Railway tracks are laid on large sized wooden sleepers so

that the thrust due to the weight of train is spread over large area

. This reduces the pressure on the ground which would prevent the yielding of the ground.

What are railway tracks laid on large sized concrete sleepers?

(a) When the train passes over a railway track,

the whole weight of the train acts on the railway line beneath it

. Due to large sized concrete sleepers, the force of this weight spreads out over a large area, thereby reducing the pressure on the ground. As a result, the railway track can bear it.

Why are railway tracks laid on large sized concrete sleepers?

Railway tracks are

subjected to the force due to the train’s weight

, and this force is to be withstood by concrete sleepers. … Therefore, we can conclude that to transmit trust due to the train’s weight evenly to the ground; we need large-sized concrete sleepers.

Why concrete sleepers are placed between railway tracks?

We know that Concrete or wooden sleepers are kept below the railway line

so that the weight of passing trains is spread over a large area of ground

and the track may not sink into the ground. … This prevents the shrinking of the ground under the weight of the train.

What is the main advantage of a cement concrete sleeper?

A. 30° to the vertical C. 60° to the vertical D. none of these.

Why rails on a railway track are fixed to large wide wooden or steel sleepers?

Explanation: Wooden or concrete sleepers are fixed over a

wide region to spread out the load due to the moving train

. The wider the area, the less the pressure exerted. In the absence of the sleepers, the rails would sink into the ground due to the heavy load of the moving train.

When the sleeper is placed exactly below the rail joint is known as?

When the sleeper is placed exactly below the rail joint it is known as

supported joint

. This type of joint is not used at present.

Why do train tracks have wood?

Their purpose is

to hold the wooden cross ties in place

, which in turn hold the rails in place. … The answer is to start with the bare ground, and then build up a foundation to raise the track high enough so it won’t get flooded.

Why is it called a railway sleeper?

This would be from the construction of wood framed houses,, barns etc where there was no brick or stone foundation but

a large/thick timber was laid flat on the ground (presumably one for each of four sides) and the vertical frame members then stood on

that. This “laid down” timber was called a “sleeper”.

Which sleepers are suitable for high speeds and load?

  • They are much useful for heavy loads and high speeds.
  • They have long life of 10-12 years depending upon the climate, condition, rain, intensity, nature of traffic, quality of wood etc.
  • Good insulators and hence good for track circuited railway tracks.
  • They are able to accommodate any gauge.

What is the main disadvantage of steel sleeper?

Disadvantages of Steel Sleepers


It is liable to corrosion.

Cracks at rail seats develop during the service.

What is the main function of sleeper?

(i) The primary function of a sleeper is

to grip the rail to gauge and to distribute the rail loads to ballast with acceptable induced pressure

. (ii) The side functions of a sleeper include the avoidance of both longitudinal and lateral track movement. (iii) It also helps to enhance correct line and level of the rails.

What is coning of wheel?


The flanges of the wheels of railways are made in the slope of 1 in 20

. This is termed as Coning of wheels. The tread of the wheels of a railway vehicle are not made flat, but sloped like a cone in order to enable these vehicles to move smoothly on curves as well as on linear straight track.

Are required to fix the rails to the wooden sleeper?


Bearing plates

are used for fixing wooden sleepers to rails. The different types of bearing plates in use on Indian Railways are described below. … Mild steel (MS) canted bearing plates with only round holes are sanctioned for use on the Railways.

Which sleeper has maximum scrap value?


Wooden sleepers

have the maximum creep and it is least in case of concrete sleepers.

Which is the ideal rail joint?

Rail joint should

hold the two ends of the rails as nearly as possible

. The two ends should be at the same level and in the same straight line. Rail joint should have same strength and stiffness as rails which it joins. Joint should provide space for the expansion and contraction of rails.

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.