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

Effect of Concrete Composition on Splitting Cracks in Prestressed Concrete Railroad Ties

Document Series:
Research Results
Author:
  • Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
RR 22-05
Office
RDI-21
Subject:
Track
Keywords:
Prestressed concrete railroad ties, crossties, fracture toughness, longitudinal splitting cracks, crack resistance, splitting resistance
Document
Fracture Toughness-A.pdf (1.07 MB)

Kansas State University researchers conducted fracture toughness (FT) tests on four, 3-point bending concrete specimens for each mixture type. Next, they fabricated pretensioned prisms with varying amounts of concrete covering the reinforcements. The prism strength was 4,500 psi when de-tensioned. Finally, they quantitatively evaluated the splitting cracks in each specimen by direct measurement of the crack lengths. The results indicated a strong correlation between crack length and FT.


Last updated: Tuesday, March 15, 2022