Laboratory testing of selected prototype under sleeper pads (USPs) – pull-off strength determined after the weather resistance test
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Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Al. Armii Ludowej 16, 00-637 Warsaw, Poland
Submission date: 2022-12-05
Final revision date: 2023-01-24
Acceptance date: 2023-02-07
Publication date: 2023-06-30
Archives of Civil Engineering 2023;2(2):483-501
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ABSTRACT
Under sleeper pads (USPs) are resilient elements used in the ballasted track structures to improve dynamic behaviour of the track, reduce vibration and protect the ballast against fast degradation. As the elements permanently connected to the sleepers or turnout bearers, the pads must have an appropriate level of pull-off strength, so that they do not separate from the rail support (here: sleeper) during their transportation to the construction site or during many years of operation. In this paper, results of pull-off tests performed on four selected USP samples are presented: three samples made of SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) granulate and one made of polyurethane. Moreover, details of the pad’s attachment to the rail support are discussed, and the requirements for the USP properties are specified, focusing on the pull-off strength determined after the weather resistance test. It is shown that only two out of four considered USP samples fulfilled the requirements specified by the authors.