Selected laboratory tests on under sleeper pads (USP) used in the railway track system

Abstract

In the present paper results of the tests for fatigue strength and resistance to severe environ-mental conditions performed on several prototypical under sleeper pads (USP) are presented. The work includes results of the static and dynamic tests carried out on samples of three materials, which were used to produce the USP. The fatigue tests were performed up to 500 thousand load cycles and they aimed at determining which of the analysed USP have favourable properties, taking into account their potential application as the elements used for reduction of stresses in the ballast – especially in the ballast layer directly under the sleeper – and reduction of the material and acoustic vibration emitted to the railway track’s surrounding (vibration and noise). In the climatic tests that were aimed at determining the influence of severe environmental conditions on the properties of USP, the samples were attached to concrete blocks and immersed in water for 24 h and then placed in a climatic chamber, where they were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. The results show that both the fatigue and climatic tests have influence on the damping-related parameters of the USP, what affects the effectiveness of the vibration isolation.