Relaxation of the Elastic Clamp in Rail Fastenings

The main purpose of a rail fastening system is to provide the strength and reliability of joining rails to sleepers and, thus, prevents the longitudinal rail displacement and track disturbance. In a railway fastening, the joining function is performed by an elastic clamp. Over time, the clamping force of the elastic clamp is decreased due to various factors. The elastic clamp relaxation phenomenon is studied in present work. The observation of the clamp residual deformation was carried out on predetermined sleepers in different operating conditions. According to the research results of the elastic clamp relaxation of the rail fastenings, the following conclusions can be made: there is a relaxation process in the elastic clamps of the rail fastening, which has a curvilinear dependence on time; the intensity of the elastic clamps relaxation attenuates after one year of operation; in addition to the time factor, the relaxation of elastic clamps is influenced by the level of operating stresses; greater value of operating stresses corresponds to greater relaxation.

Automated summary

The main purpose of a rail fastening system is to prevent longitudinal rail displacement and track disturbance. This study focuses on the relaxation phenomenon of elastic clamps used in rail fastenings. The research found that the relaxation of elastic clamps follows a curvilinear dependence on time, with the intensity attenuating after one year of operation. Additionally, the level of operating stresses also affects the relaxation, with higher stresses resulting in greater relaxation.