GOVERNMENT
POLYTECHNIC
JEHANABAD
Name:- Vikash kumar
Branch:- Civil Engineering
Roll no:- 39/ce/2022
Semester:-4th
Subject:-Transportation Enginnering
Session:- 2022-25
Mobile no:- 8340203679
SLEEPER
Sleeper:- Sleeper are transverse member of the track placed below
t h e r a i l s t o s u p p o r t a n d fi x t h e r a i l i n p r e c i s e p o s i ti o n .
Function of sleeper
1) To hold the rail to proper gauge.
2) To transfer the load from rails to ballast.
3) To support and fix the rail in proper position.
4) To keep the rails at a proper level.
5) To provide elastic medium between the rails and ballast.
6) To provides stability to permanentway.
Requirements of ideal sleeper
1) The sleeper should be sufficient strong to acts as a beam under load.
2) The sleeper should be economical .
3) The sleeper should maintain correct gauge.
4) The sleeper should have sufficient weight for stability.
5) The sleeper should be able to resist impact and vibration of moving
train.
6) They should be suitable to each type of ballast.
7) The sleeper should facilitates easy fixing of the rails.
8) They should not pushed out easily of their position in any direction
under maximum forces of moving train.
TYPES OF SLEEPER
There are five types of railway sleeper.
1) Wo o d e n s l e e p e r
2) S t e e l s l e e p e r
3) C a s t- I r o n s l e e p e r
4) R e i n f o r c e d c e m e n t c o n c r e t e s l e e p e r
5) P r e - s t r e s s e d s l e e p e r
1) Wooden sleeper:-
Wooden sleeper are the best or ideal sleeper because they fullfill all the
requirements of ideal sleeper.
The life span of wooden sleeper is less than other type of sleeper so ,
nowaday ,wooden sleeper is less used but at the curves wooden sleeper is used
in India.
Size of wooden sleeper
a) For Broad gauge= 2740 mm × 250 mm × 130 mm
b) For Metre gauge= 1830 mm × 203 mm × 114 mm
c) For Narrow gauge= 1520 mm × 150 mm × 100 mm
Wooden sleeper is generally made from sal, teak, deodar etc.
ADVANTAGE OF WOODEN SLEEPER
1) Timber is easily available in all parts of India.
2) Wooden sleepers are suitable for all types of ballast.
3) Wooden sleepers requires less fastening and simple in design.
4) It gives less noisy railway track.
5) It absorbs shocks and vibration more than other types of sleeper.
6) It is best suitable for track circuiting (curve track ).
DISADVANTAGE OF WOODEN SLEEPER
1) The lifespan of wooden sleeper is less than other types of sleeper.
2) It is difficult to maintain gauge of track in wooden sleeper.
3) These sleepers are subjected to wear ,decay and attacked by whiteants etc.
4) Maintenance cost is more as compare to other types of sleeper.
2) Steel sleeper:-
Those sleeper which is made of steel material is called steel sleeper.
The standard length of steel sleeper is 2680 mm.
ADVANTAGE OF STEEL SLEEPER
1) It is light in weight and can be handled easily.
2) These requires fewer fastening .
3) The life span of steel sleeper is more than wooden sleeper.
4) The gauge can be easily maintained and adjusted.
5) The scrap value is more than wooden sleeper.
6) The track laid on steel sleeper has good lateral strength.
DISADVANTAGE OF STEEL SLEEPER
1) Initial cost of steel sleeper is more than wooden sleeper.
2) It is not used for track circuiting.
3) It is not suitable for all types of ballast.
4) These are liable to corrosion.
3) Cast – Iron sleeper:-
The sleeper made up of Cast-Iron is known as Cast-Iron sleeper.
It has been extensively used in India as compared to other countries.
ADVANTAGE OF CAST-IRON SLEEPER
1) The life span of Cast-Iron sleeper is more.
2) The maintenance cost of these sleeper is low.
3) The gauge can be easily maintained and adjusted with these sleepers.
4) These sleeper are more durable.
5) Creep of rail can be checked by using these sleeper.
DISADVANTAGE OF CAST-IRON SLEEPER
1) More ballast is required than any other types of
sleeper.
2) The number of fitting required is more.
3) These sleepers are liable to break under vibration.
4) These sleepers are not suitable for all types of ballast.
4) RCC / Concrete Sleeper:-
The sleeper made up of Reinforced Cement Concrete material is known as RCC
Sleeper.
RCC stands for Reinforced Cement Concrete which is a composite material of
concrete and Reinforced (steel).
ADVANTAGE OF CONCRETE SLEEPER
1) It have long life span generally 40 to 60 years.
2) It is free from natural decay and attack by insects etc.
3) It requires less number of fittings.
4) Track circuiting is possible in these sleepers.
5) It provides more lateral and longitudinal strength to the railway track.
6) The maintenance cost is low.
7) Due to higher elastic modulus, these can withstand stresses due to fast moving
trains.
DISADVANTAGE OF CONCRETE SLEEPER
1) Due to heavy weight handling and transportation of these sleepers are
difficult.
2) The scrap value is null.
5) Prestressed Concrete Sleeper:-
Nowaday , Prestressed Concrete sleeper is extensively used in Indian railway.
These sleepers have high initial cost but a very cheap in long run due to their life
span
ADVANTAGE OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE SLEEPER
1) As high tensile wire used and the concrete is prestressed so it is liable to crack.
2) They are very strong in resisting tension stresses.
3) It is cheap due to long life span .
4) The life span of prestressed concrete sleeper is more.
5) The track circuiting is possible in prestressed concrete sleeper.
DISADVANTAGE OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE SLEEPER
1) These sleepers are heavily damaged in case of accident of train.
2) The scrap value of prestressed concrete sleeper is zero.
DIFFERENCE AMOMG TYPE OF SLEEPERS
Characteristics feature Wooden sleeper Steel sleeper Cast-Iron sleeper Concrete sleeper
Service life 12-15 years 40-50 years 40-50 years 50-60 years
Handling Manual, No damage by Manual, No damage by Manual, liable to break Mechanical, liable to
handling handling by rough handling break by rough handling
Weight 83 kg 79 kg 87 kg 270 kg
Gauge adjustment Difficult Easy Easy Not Possible
Track circuiting Best Difficult Difficult Easy
Type or cost of Manual and Mechanical Manual and Mechanical Manual and Machine, Maintenance &
maintenance Maintenance & high cost Maintenance & medium Maintenance & medium low cost
cost cost
Suitability or fastening Suitable for Convention Suitable for Convention Suitable for Convention Suitable for Elastic fitting
fitting & Elastic fitting fitting & Elastic fitting fitting
Creep Accessive Less Less Minimum
Sleeper Density:-
It shows the number of sleeper provided per rail length on a railway track.
It is denoted by (M+x)
Where,
M = M is length of one rail in metre.
x = x is any number.
Ex:- If the sleeper desity is (M+7) on a Broad gauge route , it means 13+7=20
Sleeper will be used per rail length of track.
SLEEPER DENSITY DEPENDS UPON FOLLOWING FACTOR
1) Axle load of train.
2) Lateral thrust of locomotives.
3) Method of providing rail joints.
4) Speed of train.
5) Types of ballast and ballast cushion.
