The connection between Steel rails and sleepers is achieved through intermediate rail fasteners, also known as rail fasteners. Fasteners must have sufficient strength, durability and certain elasticity. They should maintain reliable connection between rails and sleepers effectively for a long time, prevent rails from moving relative to sleepers, exert buffer and shock absorption performance under dynamic action, and delay accumulation of residual track deformation. Besides, fasteners should have simple structure, facilitating installation, disassembly and maintenance. There are wooden sleeper fasteners and concrete sleeper fasteners.
Wooden sleeper fasteners mainly include split type and hybrid type. Split type fasteners, also called "Type K" split fasteners, have high clamping force, which can effectively prevent rail creep. Their disadvantages are many components, high steel consumption and troublesome rail replacement. Split type fasteners are mainly used on ballastless bridges.
Components of hybrid fasteners include rail spikes and five-hole double-shoulder iron base plates. Besides using rail spikes to fasten rails, base plates and wooden sleepers together, it uses additional rail spikes to fasten base plates and wooden sleepers separately. This fastening method can reduce vibration of base plates, with few components and convenient installation. Its disadvantages are low clamping force. When rails deflect upward under load, rail spikes are easy to be pulled up, reducing clamping force.
Concrete sleeper fasteners should have sufficient clamping force, appropriate elasticity, certain adjustment range for gauge and level, and insulation performance. Clip-type fasteners have simple components and convenient gauge adjustment, but low elasticity and clamping force. They tend to loosen during use, applicable to lines with rails of 50kg/m and below. Spring bar type uses spring bars to clamp rails, featuring high clamping force and elasticity.
GNEE RAIL is a professional trading company focusing on the export of railway fasteners, committed to providing reliable rail connection products for global railway construction projects. The main products include a full range of railway fasteners such as various spring clip fastener systems, sleeper bolts, anti-loosening washers and insulating components, which are suitable for various application scenarios such as conventional railways, heavy-duty railways and urban rail transit.