Development of the new “DIV” rail fastening system

Abstract

The primary role of the rail fastening system is to position and fasten the rails to sleepers and transfer the vehicle load from the rails to the track substructure. The type and characteristics of the fastening system are usually chosen depending on the required elasticity of the track, the design load, and the type of rail. The rail fastening system has also a significant effect on the emission of noise and vibration that occurs during the operation of rail vehicles, so the right choice of fastening system contributes to noise and vibration mitigation. Worldwide, there are many types of rail fastening systems, which differ in design, construction and technical characteristics. The most used rail fastening systems are W-clip, E-clip, Nabla clip, etc. Various types of fastenings are a result of effort of both independent institutions, rail equipment manufacturers and a significant number of research centres of the developed railway authorities. When optimizing the railway track, it is necessary to choose the right properties of the fastening system, which will ensure safe and reliable operation of railway vehicles with a minimum of noise and vibration emission. The characteristics of the fastening clip and the rail pad have the greatest influence on the mechanical behaviour of the fastening system. The Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Zagreb cooperates with DIV d.o.o., a manufacturer of railway equipment, on an R&D project “Development of the elastic fastening system DIV”. With the aim of developing a new fastening system, this paper primarily analyses the properties of existing fastening systems. A meaningful evaluation of the rail fastening systems requires the understanding of the geometry, materials, mechanical properties and the utilisation of the clip and the rail pad. The new fastening system should meet the requirements defined in the standards EN 13146 and EN 13481.