THE COUPLING ELEMENT CALCULATION OF COMBINED WOODEN BAR FOR TURNOUTS

Abstract

Purpose. The deficit of permanent way (PW) material elements leads to a revision of the re-use of old serviceable object after their replacement or repair. As an example is the following fact, that after the wear in the under-rail area of wooden sleepers and beams, or other defects that prevent their further exploitation, there is an acute issue of their planned replacement. Usually, the required minimum margin of sleepers is always in the track service brigades. As for the wooden beams the length of which in the turnouts is up to 5 m, there is not always possible quickly replace them due to the lack of size in the short term. Therefore, the geometric dimensions of the connect elements of the two halves of the beams or sleepers in a single rigid structure were proposed and justified and its characteristics do not differ from solid beam. Methodology. The authors considered the calculation algorithm of wooden elements connection and mathematical models that describe the elastic properties of base. The most adequate technique that fully characterizes the interactions beam in the form of a beam of finite length on the ballast was determined. Findings. The qualitative and quantitative verification of the results showed a very good agreement between the values of bending moments, shear forces and deflections that were obtained by the finite difference method (FDM) and the analytical method. It gives the reason to believe that the received geometric dimensions of nag connection can be recommended to employees of track facilities to connect the wooden sleepers on the switches and crossovers. Originality. The nag connection geometrical sizes of two wooden sleepers in the beam for using on switches were substantiated. Practical value. The proposed joint design allows re-using of renovated old wooden sleepers and bars. This design can be applied not only for the connection of conventional wooden sleepers in the beam of desired length, but also to create the halves of a single sleeper designs for lightly loaded sections of the station and access routes.