Czech

Not applicable.

Institute of Railway Structures and Constructions (ZEL)

A student acquires skills in interaction between railway vehicle and track, wheel – rail interaction, track loads. The student is introduced in static and dynamic analyse of railway track including of design and evaluation of track components. The student learns theoretical basis of continuous welded rail and demands on its construction. The student also acquires design of advanced switches and crossings assemblies.

Track alignment design parameters and its spatial positions, railway track design.
Railway substructure, subdivision and construction of rail substructure and its construction layers, construction and shape of earth formation
Railway superstructure and modern railway structure design

Structure vibration theory, terminology, dynamic analysis models, solving methods for the real design of dynamically loaded structures. Theoretical principles and design procedures of earth structures (stability, deformation, ground improvement) and their analysis.

Teaching is kept in a form lectures, seminars and individual consultations. The students' work is completed by specified individual work, work assigned for individual study with the active participation of students and students' work with LMS Moodle. Excursions to the construction sites or to manufacturers are organized.

The course is completed with a credit and exam. Exam consists of two parts - practical, in which a student designs an assembly of switches and crossings and solves tasks and theoretical, in which answers questions regarding the interaction of vehicle and track, static and dynamic track analyses, switches, crossings and turnouts assemblies.
Acquisition of the credit is conditional on attendance, submitting of all calculations and delivery of a design of switches, crossings and turnout assembly.

1. Wheel – rail interface, wheelset and track dimensions, equivalent conicity, lateral movement of wheelset on straight track
2. Wheel – rail contact stresses, Hertz theory, adhesion and adhesion force, train resistances
3. Vehicle in curve, Vogel theory, Heumann theory, forces on wheelset, derailment condition.
4. Track loads, vertical, lateral and longitudinal forces, influence of higher operation speed
5. Static track design, rail stresses, sleeper stresses, vertical stresses on ballast bed and formation, computer models
6. The rail, manufacturing, welding, testing and acceptance.
7. Rail failures, rail grinding.
8. Switches and crossing, types, turnout parts.
9. Geometry of set of switches and common crossings. Manufactured types and notation.
10. The single turnout, stock rail, switch rail (blade), common and crossings, sleepers, fastenings systems.
11. Operating and locking systems. Crossings and slip points.
12. Turnout collections. Cross overs, junctions.
13. Sets of turnouts. Turnouts in curves. High speed turnouts, development of new turnouts structures.

Not applicable.

The objective of the subject is to introduce students to the problems of interaction between railway vehicle and track, static track design, switches, crossings and turnouts and to practise acquires knowledge and skills.

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

A student can attend conferences, workshops or excursions focused on railway structures. The student can also take a part in solving of research and development projects.

Not applicable.

Esveld, C.: Modern Railway Track. MRT-Productions, Delft, 2001. (EN)
Klimeš, F.: Železniční stavitelství II. SNTL Praha, 1981. (CS)
Lichtberger, B.: Handbuch Gleis. Unterbau, Oberbau, Instandhaltung, Wirtschaftlichkeit.. Tetzlaff Verlag Hamburg, 2003. (DE)
Tyc, Kubát, Dostál, Havíř: Železniční stavby. Dh Press, Bratislava, 1993. (CS)

kol.: Wheel/Rail Safety. Blackwell Publishing, 2003. (EN)
Markku Nummelin: Railway Turnouts. Finnish Rail Administration, 2003. (EN)