Actual Condition Survey of the Effects of Aging and Accumulated Tonnage on the Load-bearing Capacity of PC Sleepers

Abstract

Prestressed concrete (PC) sleepers have been treated as replacement track materials that are replaced each time deformation occurs. For this reason, so far, no criteria have been established for quantitative soundness assessment nor for replacement of these sleepers. In this research, to establish a new maintenance management system of PC sleepers, we collected aged PC sleepers to conduct a survey of aging deterioration, with various tests such as bending tests specified by Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). Using the results, we evaluated the load-bearing capacity of aged PC sleepers through numerical analyses using a three-dimensional FEM model. Finally, we proposed a guideline for the service life of PC sleepers.