Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02608645 2007-11-14
Ballastless track for rail vehicles
The invention relates to a fixed carriageway for rail vehicles having rails
fixed to
sleepers, which are carried by a structure engineered in concrete or concrete
composite.
Fixed carriageways which run on an engineered structure, possibly a bridge,
have hitherto required a comparatively high construction cost. The regulations
for the structural configuration of the fixed carriageway require that the
sleepers
be disposed on a superstructure panel. This superstructure panel rests on a
hump panel in order to transmit horizontal forces. The hump panel is in turn
disposed on a protective concrete panel, which may at least on one side abut
an edge cap of a bridge structure in order to transmit lateral forces from the
fixed carriageway into the bridge support structure. The regulations require
furthermore that below the protective concrete panel a seal is provided. The
various layers of such a fixed carriageway on a bridge may have a total
thickness of 80 cm or more, and such fixed carriageways therefore require a
high level of structural complexity and lead to comparatively high costs.
In DE 197 23 587 Al, an engineered structure such as bridge having a fixed
carriageway has already been proposed, in which the sleepers are either
disposed on a continuous supporting ridge or on individual humps disposed in a
row. In manufacture, first a support panel of the bridge structure is
produced,
and then a second support panel is cast for the fixed carriageway. In a
separate manufacturing stage, support ridges or humps are concreted on to the
upper support panel, on which humps the sleepers for the rails are fixed. Even
if this arrangement already affords a certain degree of simplification, a high
level
of structural complexity is still required, as the engineered structure is
produced
by a series of consecutive stages. In this, the manufacture of the
subsequently
concreted humps or support ridges is particularly complex.
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The object of the invention is therefore to indicate a fixed carriageway for
rail
vehicles of the type mentioned in the introduction whose manufacture is
simpler
and therefore more economical.
To achieve this, it is proposed in a fixed carriageway of the type mentioned
in
the introduction that the sleepers are embedded in the structural concrete of
the
engineered structure or in a protective concrete layer or are mounted direct
on
the structural concrete or the protective concrete layer.
According to the invention, the carriageway panel in which the sleepers are
embedded is produced simultaneously with the manufacture of the engineered
structure, and unlike the known fixed carriageways, subsequent formation of
the
carriageway panel becomes superfluous, so that there is a saving in both
materials and costs.
The invention is based on the knowledge that the structural concrete of the
engineered structure or a protective concrete layer present on the engineered
structure can simultaneously act as a carriageway panel, in that the sleepers
are embedded in the structural concrete or protective concrete layer when this
is manufactured. In the same way, the sleepers can be mounted direct on the
structural concrete or protective concrete layer. The structural concrete or
protective concrete layer meets all the structural requirements made of a
carriageway panel for a fixed carriageway. Therefore, a separate carriageway
panel or superstructure panel or a separate manufacturing stage can be
omitted, so that the arrangement according to the invention is particularly
simply
constructed and results in a reduced consumption of material.
It is particularly preferred that the sleepers of the fixed carriageways
according
to the invention are single-block or multi-block sleepers. This covers all
types of
sleepers predominantly used. The sleeper blocks are connected together via
grid supports and are embedded in the manufacture of the engineered
structure, so that a monolithic fixed carriageway is achieved.
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In the fixed carriageway according to the invention, it can be provided that
this
has a longitudinal and/or transverse reinforcement. The position of the
reinforcement and the number of reinforcing rods can in this case be
optimised,
since the reinforcement present in any case in the engineered structure can
also be used for the fixed carriageway.
In an engineered structure in the form of a bridge, it can be provided that
the
bridge has at least one edge cap and/or at least one cable channel disposed at
the side, next to the sleepers in order to absorb lateral forces. By way of
the
edge cap or cable channel, forces acting laterally to the carriageway
direction
are transmitted to the supporting structure of the engineered structure. Thus
complex construction elements such as humps or support ridges can be
dispensed with. It is also possible for the engineered structure to be a
concrete
panel with a foundation.
If the sleepers of the fixed carriageway according to the invention are
embedded in a protective concrete layer of a bridge, this protective concrete
layer may advantageously act simultaneously as a bridge seal, so that an
additional seal of the bridge deck can be dispensed with.
It is also possible to use the fixed carriageway according to the invention in
an
engineered structure formed as a tunnel, in which case the sleepers are
embedded direct in a layer of compensating concrete. Since in this case also,
an additional, separately manufactured carriageway panel can be dispensed
with, the required inner diameter of the tunnel tubes is smaller.
Further advantages and details of the invention will be explained with the aid
of
embodiments with reference to the drawings, which are diagrammatic
representations and show:
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Fig. 1, a first embodiment of a fixed carriageway according to the invention
on a
bridge structure viewed in perspective;
Fig. 2, a second embodiment of a fixed carriageway according to the invention,
in which the sleepers are embedded in a protective concrete layer;
Fig. 3, an enlarged detail of the fixed carriageway of Fig. 2 with only
partially
shown protective concrete layer;
Fig. 4, a third embodiment of the invention with a fixed carriageway in a
tunnel;
and
Fig. 5, a fourth embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view in section of a bridge structure 1 with a
fixed
carriageway 2. The fixed carriageway 2 is formed integrally with the
supporting
structure 3 of the bridge structure 1. On both sides of the fixed carriageway
2
cable channels 4 and edge caps 5 are disposed. The cable channels 4 and the
edge caps 5 are for transmitting lateral forces from the fixed carriageway 2
to
the supporting structure 3.
The fixed carriageway 2 comprises dual-block sleepers 6, which carry rails 7.
In
the embodiment shown, the sleepers 6 are embedded direct in the structural
concrete of the supporting structure 3, and a separate superstructure panel or
carriageway panel is not present. In the plane of section rods of a
longitudinal
reinforcement 8 can be seen, and in addition reinforcing rods laid transverse
thereto and forming a transverse reinforcement are present.
Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment in which the components corresponding to
those of the first embodiment have the same reference numbers.
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Unlike in the first embodiment, in the bridge structure 9 shown in Fig. 2, the
sleepers 6 are embedded in a protective concrete layer 10, which rests on a
supporting structure 11 of the bridge structure 9. To manufacture the bridge
structure 9, first the supporting structure 11 is produced, and then the cable
channels 4 and the edge caps 5 are assembled. The sleepers 6 are
incorporated in the trough-like space between the cable channels 4 and edge
caps 5 respectively and are positioned exactly. In the same way, the
reinforcement 8 is applied. The manufacture of the protective concrete layer
10
is effected by casting with concrete. The protective concrete layer 10 can
also
act as a bridge seal.
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail of the fixed carriageway shown in Fig. 2 with
the
protective concrete layer only shown in part.
In Fig. 3, the dual-block sleepers 6 are shown before casting. Each pair of
sleeper blocks 12, 13 is joined together via grid supports 14, which also act
as
transverse reinforcement. Between the grid supports 14, further reinforcing
rods 15 are disposed in the transverse direction, just like the rods of the
longitudinal reinforcement 8. After positioning and adjustment of the sleepers
6
and of the reinforcement, casting of the concrete takes place, so that only
the
upper regions 16 of the dual-block sleepers 6 still project from the concrete
layer.
Fig. 4 shows a section view of a third embodiment of a fixed carriageway in a
tunnel. The dual-block sleepers 6 are embedded direct in the structural
concrete 16 of the tunnel, i.e. the fixed carriageway 17 is integrally joined
with
the structural concrete 16 of the tunnel. In the plane of section, the rods of
the
longitudinal reinforcement 18 are visible. Since no additional or separate
carriageway panel is present, the diameter of the tunnel can be kept to a
minimum.
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If the fixed carriageway 17 is constructed in the tunnel, first the dual-block
sleepers 6 are positioned and adjusted, and then structural concrete 16 is
cast.
Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a fixed carriageway in a tunnel.
Unlike in the example shown in Fig. 4, a compensating concrete layer 19 is
present, in which the sleepers 6 are embedded. Below the compensating
concrete layer 19 is a concrete layer 20 in the shape of a segment of a
circle.
In this manner, the forces generated during operation of the fixed carriageway
are transmitted direct into the sole of the tunnel.
