During the past 40 years, concrete—especially prestressed concrete—has largely replaced wood as the preferred material for railway sleepers. This development is mainly due to increased requirements for the stability of high-speed rail tracks and the durability of concrete. In some countries, changes in relative costs have also contributed to the greater cost-effectiveness of concrete sleeper tracks.
The development of concrete sleeper tracks has been characterized by a variety of approaches to production, design, rail fastening, and track-laying procedures. Within the FIP Commission on Prefabrication, it was felt that a review of these procedures and current experience would be of great value. It was also recognized that current design methods, particularly regarding the response of the various track components to dynamic actions, required further development.
A Working Party was therefore established in 1982 to prepare this state-of-the-art report on concrete railway sleepers. The report covers the history of concrete sleepers as well as current design considerations, rail fastening systems, manufacturing methods, quality control and testing, track laying, field performance, and ongoing research in various countries.
The Working Party now plans to prepare a Guide to Good Practice on the design of concrete railway tracks and the effects of dynamic actions on the track, taking into account the dynamic response of rails, rail fastenings, concrete sleepers, ballast, and subsoil.
The Chairman of the Working Party is Dr. Kent Gylltoft (Sweden). In addition to the main contributions made by the Working Party, valuable comments have been received from corresponding members, as well as from individuals and companies worldwide.
K. G. Bernander
Chairman, 1986
FIP Commission on Prefabrication
