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Rail movement joints with longitudinally moveable stock rails

Rail movement joints with longitudinally moveable stock rails
VAE has developed special rail movement joints for large bridges with corresponding longitudinal and rotational movements of the end span. Compared to conventional products of this type, the VAE developed product has the following features:

- 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.

Design with sledge

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             Xmin. 1175 N/mm²350 – 390
MN13           X             Xas per UIC866  
Dual-track design
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
Monitoring of Rail Movement Joints

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.