Rail movement joints with longitudinally moveable stock rails
- The stock rails move longitudinally in two symmetrically arranged cast troughs with integrated switches
- Wheel transition like that in a switch device of a turnout
- No gauge widening
- No check rails required
- Use of sledges between abutment and the bridge for expansion lengths of
up to ± 600 mm 1 sledge
up to ± 900 mm 2 sledges
from ± 900 mm min. 3 sledges
Levers below the sledges make sure that the lengths of the gaps is evenly spread. At the same time, small rotations of the end span are accommodated.
- For large bridges the rail movement joint is attached to the supporting structure of the bridge with large rotations of the end span by means of a flexible spline girder. Arising angular deviations are elastically accommodated in vertical and horizontal directions and thus the sensible area of the length modifications in the rails is kept free of deformations.
Advantages
- State-of-the-art solution for large movements
- High wear allowance
- Extremely low maintenance
Technical characteristics:
| Material grade Designation | for stock rail | and switchblade | Tensile Strength | Hardness[HB] |
| R260 (S900) | X | X | min. 880 N/mm² | 260 - 300 |
| R350HT (S900 HSH) | X | X | min. 1175 N/mm² | 350 – 390 |
| MN13 | X | X | as per UIC866 |
| Expansion length | ± 1100 mm and higher |
| Speeds | up to top speeds > 300 kph |
| Axle loads | for high and highest axle loads / annual loads |
| Requirements | for highest stability |
VAE offers an electronic monitoring system for rail movement joints on large bridges. This guarantees that the operating condition of rail movement joints is supervised non-stop. The operator is given information around the clock on the following subjects:
Rail movements
Longitudinal movements of the sledges
Twisting of the sledges
Rail temperature
Ambient temperature
As a consequence, maintenance work for the rail movement joints can be matched to the actual requirement. Costly inspections according to fixed maintenance schedules are no longer required.
Possible inadmissible operating conditions can be detected in advance and corrected in time.
