USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Bond-Slip Relationships of Wires Used in Pretensioned Concrete Railroad Ties

Document Series:
Research Results
Author:
  • Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
RR 21-04
Office
RDI-21
Subject:
Track
Keywords:
Concrete railroad ties, crossties, bond, pullout test, transfer length, transmission length, prestressed concrete, pretensioned concrete, indented wire
Document

KSU developed special wire testing frames and procedures to measure bond-slip performance of prestressing wires (or strands) in concrete. The test called for applying tension to the wires prior to casting the concrete and then slowly releasing the prestress force into the concrete. Forces and displacements were measured to control the test and develop the results. The results revealed significant variations in the bond-slip relationships for different wires, despite sharing the same diameter and tensile strength. These differences were attributed to both the wire indent characteristics and the amount of concrete surrounding the wire. This research also found a strong correlation between the bond-slip results and the force transfer length in pretensioned concrete prisms with similar wires. These methods and results are useful inputs to the concrete tie design process.


Last updated: Friday, April 9, 2021