Under Sleeper Pads

Experimental investigation of railway track
with under sleeper pad

prof.dr.sc. Stjepan Lakui , dipl.ing.gra .
Maja Ahac, dipl.ing.gra .
Ivo Haladin, dipl.ing.gra .
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Transportation, Chair for Railways, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The conventional railway superstructure consists of rails, elastic fastening systems and, in
general, transverse concrete sleepers supported on ballast bed. Such tracks, in comparison with
the structures on timber sleepers, have less contact elasticity between sleepers and ballast material. Ballast bed represents the weakest link in the entire track construction because of the
crushed stone movements during dynamic loads. Their motion causes extensive abrasive wear on
the contact areas of single stones and also breakings or even pulverization of some stones. The
solution to this problem lies in the modification of the dynamic characteristics of vehicle-track
system by installation of elastic elements that will ensure better load distribution in the track
structure. Today, besides the usual resiliant rail pads and baseplate pads, there is an increased
use of sub-ballast mats and especially under sleeper pads in the track structure. This paper presents experimental investigation of vibration intensity carried out on the track with and without
under sleeper pads. The results showed that the vibrations on track with under sleeper pads decreased up to 30%, which is particularly important in areas sensitive to noise and vibration, at
crossings, turnouts and railway tracks on bridges.
Povzetek
Obi ajna klasi na tirna konstrukcija je sestavljena iz tirnic, elasti nega pribora za pri vrstitev ter praviloma pre nih betonskih pragov vgrajenih v tirno gredo. V primerjavi s tiri na lesenih pragih imajo takni tiri manjo elasti nost na stiku praga in tirne grede. Tirna greda predstavlja najibkeji len v celi konstrukciji tira, ker zaradi delovanja dinami nih sil na tir prihaja
do premikov zrn v tirni gredi kar lahko povzro i troenje in razpadanje tol enca. Reitev tega
problema je v modifikaciji karakteristik dinami nega sistema vozilo tir z vgraditvijo elasti nih
elementov, ki zagotavljajo bolj ugodno razporeditev obtebe v tiru. Razen obi ajnih elasti nih
podlok pod tirnicam se edalje ve vgrajujejo specialne elasti ne podloge pod tirno gredo, ter
posebej elastomerne podloke pod pragi. V tem prispevku je prikazana poskusna raziskava tira z
in brez elastomernih podlok pod pragi z ozirom na intenziteto vibracij. Rezultati raziskave so
pokazali, da se vibracije tira z elastomernimi podlokami pod pragi zmanjajo tudi do 30 % kar
je posebej pomembno na obmo jih ki so ob utljiva na hrup in vibracije, pri kretnicah, krii ih
ter pri tirih na mostovih.
Lakui , S., Ahac, M., Haladin, I.: Poskusno preverjanje tira z elastomernimi podlokami pod pragi
Lakui , S., Ahac, M., Haladin, I.:

Experimental investigation of railway track with under sleeper pad
1 Introduction
The conventional railway superstructure
consists of rails, elastic fastening systems and,
in general, transverse concrete sleepers supported on ballast bed or attached to some sort
of stiff substructure. The basic requirement
placed on each of these elements is as balanced and flexible load transfer from the vehicle through rails on lower layers of track
structure with minimal construction and
maintenance costs. When transferring the load
there is a gradual decrease in the intensity of
stresses as the load is transferred to the growing contact surface between each lower layer
of track structure. In addition to the size of
contact area, stiffness of individual elements
of track structure plays a significant role in
the load transmission, i.e. the ability of these
elements to damp the dynamic excitation
(vibration) of the rails caused by passing vehicles.
2 Effects of concrete
sleepers application
Modern railway track with concrete
sleepers and ballast bed made of coarse
stones, compared with the structures with
timber sleepers, have two significant drawbacks:
overall stiffness of the permanent way
is higher,
contact elasticity between the sleepers
and ballast stones is lower.
Generally it can be argued that increasing the stiffness of the permanent way results
in an increase of dynamic forces in the track
structure. This statement must be taken with
some caution, since the intensity of the dynamic forces depends on the load frequency
and total weight (damping possibility) of the
whole structure.
Construction of railway tracks with concrete sleepers of relatively high stiffness has
resulted in changes in load distribution in
ballast bed just below the sleepers. Ballast
bed represents the weakest link in the entire
track structure because of the crushed stone
latent movements during dynamic loads
which causes its compaction and abrasive
wear. More pronounced and faster ballast
stone wear is the consequence of the increased vehicle speed and axle loads, and also
lesser deflection of the rails due to increased

overall stiffness of the permanent way.
Unlike the timber sleepers on which the
largest bending moments and vertical deflections occur in zones directly beneath the rails,
in the case of concrete sleepers the largest
deflection is occurring at their ends. These
intense vertical displacements cause movements of coarse stones, creating a gap in the
ballast bed just below sleeper ends. The consequence of this asymmetric settlement of
ballast stones is decreased stability of the
sleeper that leads to its tilting during vehicle
passage. This tilting can cause significant
damage to the sleeper itself and increased
abrasive wear of coarse stones in its immediate vicinity. Such a rapid decline of the track
quality requires the implementation of adverse measures for ensuring safe and comfortable ride, including operational speed
limit, reduction of static and dynamic loads
(reduction in axle loads, which can negatively
affect railways capacity), and shortening the
track geometry maintenance cycle thus increasing the maintenance costs. Due to their
higher stiffness compared to timber, concrete
sleepers have less ability to damp vibrations.
Studies have shown that installation of concrete sleepers can increase the track vibrations
up to 5 dB [1].
Foreign experience shows that the solution to these problems may lie in modification
of the vehicle-track dynamic system characteristics in order to reduce stiffness of the
track and in the installation of resilient elements that would allow better load distribution in the track. On high speed lines, beside
the conventional resilient under baseplate
pads and elastic rail fastening systems, there
is an increased use of sub-ballast mats which
reduce transmission of vibrations from the
ballast bed to the track substructure and the
subsoil. Disadvantage of such mats are their
relatively high cost and difficulties during
their installation (difficulties in proper compacting of ballast material) [2]. Lately, installation of elastic, soft material between the
sleepers and ballast material has developed as
an alternative to sub-ballast mats and/or additional possibility to increase the elasticity of
the track.
10. SLOVENSKI KONGRES O CESTAH IN PROMETU, Portoro, 20. 22. oktobra 2010

3 Resilient under sleeper

pads
Under sleeper pads are resilient pads attached to the underside of sleepers to provide
an intermediate elastic layer between the
sleeper and the ballast (Figure 1). Swiss
Railways (SBB) were first to use such pads in
year 1986 [2]. In relation to the sub-ballast
mats, this solution allows damping of vibrations in the upper parts of the track. The basic
function of these pads is to reduce the effect
of unequal stiffness of the track on wheel-rail
contact forces and increase the surface area
through which sleepers distribute stresses to
ballast. Installation of under sleeper pads
causes decrease in resonance frequency of
permanent way and thus reduction of vibration transmission from the sleepers to the
ballast bed and track substructure.
Use of under sleeper pads enables:
reduction of forces transmitted from
sleepers to the lower parts of track
structure (reduction of load that is
transferred to the ballast bed is between
20 and 30%);
reduction of stresses in rails and sleepers ensuring better and more uniform
load distribution (reducing stress in the
ballast bed up to 40%);
increase of lateral track resistance (up
to 9%);
increase of the track elasticity and vertical displacements (deflections);
improvements in track geometry;
reduction of ballast depth (up to 10 cm,
locally);
reduction of long pitch rail corrugations
in tight radius curves (up to 50%);
longer cycles of regular track maintenance by tamping and reduction of operational and maintenance costs, especially in the case of railway lines with
heavy traffic load (2 to 2.5 times longer
periods between tamping);
reduction of vibrations with frequencies larger than 40 Hz (from 8 to 15
dB, up to 30% less vibrations);
increase in travel comfort [3].
Figure 1. Ballasted track with under sleeper pads
Under sleeper pads have been used for

special applications in track structures for
about 20 years. However, during the last 510
years, a wider use of under sleeper pads has
developed in most of the countries of central
and western Europe, mainly because of the
increased high speed lines construction.
Sleepers with pads have been in use:
in turnouts and crossings (at the places
where the acces for tamping is difficult,
in order to reduce the degradation of
ballast material);
under concrete bearers used in special
locations such as expansion joints at
the end of long bridges;
on short bridges, and on the approach
to, and running off bridges;
in transition areas between ballasted
and ballastless track;
in order to reduce structure-borne noise
and vibrations [4].
4 Vibration measurement
The positive experiences of European
railway administrations on the implementation of under sleeper pads have motivated
Department of Transportation Engineering at
the Faculty of Civil Engineering to implement
proper investigation of the influence that
sleeper installation mode has on the intensity
of vibrations. This paper presents an overview
of the proceedings and results of vibration
measurements conducted in June 2009. at the
testing site at Beton Lu ko company facilities. The aim was to investigate the vibrations
damping capability of the individual components of track structure.
At the site, two test structures were
placed on top of the 30 cm thick concrete
slab, each structure consisting of two rails (60
E1) 1.20 m in length, attached to two concrete
sleepers (PB-85-K) by elastic fastenings

(SKL-1). These structures differed by the type

of sleepers bedding:
structure TYPE 1 sleepers are layed
directly at the concrete slab,
structure TYPE 2 sleepers are layed
in 35 cm thick ballast bed covering the
concrete slab;
and by the elasticity of contact between
sleepers and structures lower layer:
structure TYPE A sleepers are layed
directly at the the lower layer (concrete
slab or ballast material),
structure TYPE B between the sleepers and the lower layer (concrete slab
or ballast material) there is a 3 cm thick

layer of rubber material (under sleeper
pad).
Material selected for the construction of
under sleeper pad is a two-component mass
for casting and/or injecting based on polyurethane resins (Icosit KC 340 / 7), Shore stiffness 755 SH(A) [5]. This material has been
applied in rail traffic for many years, primarily as a vibrations absorber and fastening
material between the track superstructure and
solid surfaces (concrete or steel bridge decks,
concrete surfaces in tunnels) and also at
crossings to ensure accurate track geometry.
Figure 2. Four different types of test structures
4.1 Concrete slab vibration

measurement procedure
Due to the limited length of the rails
(1.20 m') there could be no real vehicle loading at the testing site. Therefore, vibration
measurements of the tracks were conducted
during the effect of impact load which simulates the wheel-rail contact forces due to irregularities of their running surface. Impact
was achieved by lowering the weight of 3.66
kg (36.6 N) on the rail head, just above the
fastenings. Weight was dropped down using
guides from the heights of 5, 25 and 100 cm.
To obtain a more accurate assessment of
the behavior of track structures during impact,
simultaneous measurements of vertical acceleration of rail (A-1), sleeper (A-2) and con-
crete slab (A-3) were carried out using three

triaxial accelerometers placed as showed at
the scheme in Figure 3. Measurement and
analysis of results were preformed by using
PULSE measurement system by Brel &
Kjr.
Figure 3. Scheme of accelerometers placement

and impact force location

Figure 4. Test structures TYPE A1 and B1 (left), TYPE A2 and B2 (right)
with integrated elastomeric sleeper pad), vertical vibrations of concrete slab are less in
amplitude and shorter in time. Similar results
were obtained during all measurements, based
on which it was concluded that the elastic
sleeper pad really has a significant impact on
reduction of overall vibration caused by impact load.
4.2 Results of concrete slab

vibration measurements
Figure 5 shows time records of vertical
vibrations (mm/s) of concrete slab, measured
by accelerometer A-3 during lowering of
weight from 25 cm hight on the structures
TYPE A1 and B1 rail head. It is evident that
in the case of structure TYPE B1 (structure
[m/s]
Time(PODLOGA) - Input
Pulse Time : Input : Input : FFT Analyzer
[m/s]
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
-20
-20
-40
-40
-60
-60
-80
Time(PODLOGA) - Input
Pulse Time : Input : Input : FFT Analyzer
-80
0
20m
40m
60m
80m
[s]
100m
120m
140m
160m
20m
40m
60m
80m
[s]
100m
120m
140m
160m
Figure 5. Time records of vibration accelerations (mm/s) measured by accelerometer A-3 placed on
concrete slab of structure TYPE A1 (left) and TYPE B1 (right)
4.3 Analysis of the results of

concrete slab vibration
measurement
After integration of the recorded vibration signals the effective value of vibration
velocity (mm/s) in the frequency range from 1
Hz to 1 kHz and from 5 Hz to 250 Hz were
analyzed (Table 1 and 2). Figures 6 and 7

shows the third-octave spectrums of vibration
velocities determined at the moments of
maximum measured vibrations during lowering the weight from 25 cm at rail head for
each different structure type.

[m/s]
[m/s]
Autospectrum(PODLOGA) - Input
Pulse Time : Input : Input : CPB Analyzer
1m
1m
900u
900u
800u
800u
700u
700u
600u
600u
500u
500u
400u
400u
300u
300u
200u
200u
100u
100u
0
1
10
20
[Hz]
50
100
200
500
1k
10
20
[Hz]
50
100
200
500
1k
Figure 6. Vibration velocity (mm/s) of concrete slab of structure TYPE A1 (left) and TYPE B1 (right)
[m/s]
[m/s]
100u
100u
90u
90u
80u
80u
70u
70u
60u
60u
50u
50u
40u
40u
30u
30u
20u
20u
10u
10u
0
1
10
20
[Hz]
50
100
200
500
1k
10
20
[Hz]
50
100
200
500
1k
Figure 7. Vibration velocity (mm/s) of concrete slab of structure TYPE A2 (left) and TYPE B2 (right)
Table 1. Effective values of vibration velocity (mm/s) TYPE 1
Frequency range
1Hz 1 kHz
5Hz 250 Hz
TYPE A1
[mm/s]
1.560
0.556
TYPE B1
[mm/s]
0.211
0.088
TYPE A1/ TYPE B1

7.393
6.318
Vibration reduction
[dB]
17.4
16.0
Table 2. Effective values of vibration velocity (mm/s) TYPE 2

Frequency range
1Hz 1 kHz
5Hz 250 Hz
TYPE A2
[mm/s]
0.082
0.017
TYPE B2
[mm/s]
0.012
0.005
Comparison of the values obtained by

measuring vibration acceleration of concrete
slab in logarithmic scale (Figure 8), for all
four observed types of track structure, confirmed the investigations presumption - introduction of flexible elements in the track structure and reduction of stiffness by introducing
elastomeric pads below sleepers and/or construction of ballast bed of sufficient thickness,
decreases the transfer of vibrations from the
sleepers to the lower parts of the track structure.
TYPE A2/ TYPE B2

6.833
3.400
Vibration reduction
[dB]
16.7
10.6
Comparison of difference in vibration

values (Figure 9) between the structures
TYPE A1 and B1 showed that the installation
of under sleeper pads can cause a small increase in the intensity of low frequency vibrations. This result conforms with the experiences and results of previous studies conducted by a number of European railway administrations. It is necessary to emphasize
that the cause of this increased values of low
frequency vibrations at tracks with under
sleeper pads has not yet been cleared.

200
TYPE A1
TYPE B1
TYPE A2
TYPE B2
VIBRATIONS [dB re 1 nm/s]
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
25
32
40
50
63
80
100
125
160
200
250
315
400
500
630
800 1000
FREQUENCY [Hz]
Figure 8. Concrete slab vertical vibrations (values in dB) for various types of test track structures
21,1
12,4
11,4
8,7
23,2
20,0
22,7
15,6
12,4
10,4
14,2
10,6
12,9
9,0
8,3
9,2
1,0
5,3
7,5
5,2
6,9
9,0
9,3
10
9,5
15
11,8
12,5
17,6
20
-0,4
-0,5
-0,6
0
-0,6
VIBRATIONS DIFFERENCE
TYPE A-B [dB re 1 nm/s]
DIFFERENCE A2-B2
16,1
16,9
DIFFERENCE A1-B1
25
26,3
30
-5
25
32
40
50
63
80
100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1000
-10
FREQUENCY [Hz]
Figure 9. Difference in concrete slab vibrations values for test track structures with (B) and without (A)
under sleeper pad
5 Conclusion
Detailed knowledge about the behavior
of the railway track subjected to vertical dynamic effects is necessary for precise determination of stresses that occur in the tracks
superstructure and substructure and of noise
and vibrations that occur as their consequence. The size and transfer of these effects
can be significantly affected by the introduction of flexible elements in the track structure.
Effect of elastic components in terms of their
ability to damp dynamic effects depends on
their position in the track structure and dynamic characteristics (mainly hardness). The
great advantage of applying under sleeper
pads lies in their compatibility with traditional

fastening systems and concrete sleepers, and
also conventional procedures and equipment
for building and maintaining tracks.
From experiences gathered during measurements and analysis described in this paper,
it can be concluded that the use of under
sleeper pads in modern track construction
enables significant improvements in terms of
decreasing dynamic impacts on track and thus
reduction of construction and maintenance
costs. All the conclusions about the advantages and disadvantages of introducing under
sleeper pads into the track structure have not
yet been made at the European level, but so
far positive experience in their application

shows that the installation of sleepers with

elastic pad should become a common practice
during reconstruction of existing and construction of new high speed railway lines.
References
[1]www.commentmgr.com/projects/1212/doc
s/CH-4.8%20Vibration.PDF
[2] Plasek,O., Salajka, V., Hruzikova, M., Vymlatil, P.: The Static Analysis of Track with Under
Sleeper Pads, Railway Engineering Confer-
ence 2007, (ur: Forde, M.C.), London, UK,

lipanj 2007.
[3] Lakui , S., Ahac, M.: Betonski pragovi s
elasti nim podlokama, Prometnice - nove
tehnologije i materijali, (ed. Lakui , Stjepan),
Zagreb: Gra evinski fakultet Sveu ilita u Zagrebu, 2010.. Str. 579-616.
[4] UIC Project No. I/05/U/440, USP - Under
Sleeper Pads, Summarising Report (4th Edition), Be , Austrija, oujak 2009.
[5] www.epms-supplies.co.uk/p-Icosit-KC-
340/7-(182).aspx

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Experimental investigation of railway track

with under sleeper pad

Lakui , S., Ahac, M., Haladin, I.:

lesser deflection of the rails due to increased

Lakui , S., Ahac, M., Haladin, I.:

3 Resilient under sleeper

Figure 1. Ballasted track with under sleeper pads