VAE GmbH

www.voestalpine.com/vae
VAE GmbH
www.voestalpine.com/vae
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Rail Movement Joints

VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
2
Rail Movement Joints
Dilatationen
SWITCH TO
THE RIGHT TRACK
Rail movement joints are required
when tracks are layed across
engineering structures such as
bridges and viaducts. These struc-
tures are exposed to changes in
lengths due to ambient influences
like traffic load, temperature and
wind. These influences sometimes
lead to angular rotations of the
end spans in the abutment.
Rail movement joints are installed
to bridge such length variations
and - if required - to accommodate
angular rotations of the end spans.
VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
3
Rail Movement Joints
Optimised geometry and wheel/rail contact
Milling of the switch rail
Manufactured with integrated
CAD/CAM systems from special
high-tensile materials, e.g. S900
A, HSH (Head Special Hardened),
high-manganese cast steel.
Less wear
Lower forces
Reduced accelerations
Less maintenance
Low life cycle costs
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Optimization of rail movement
joints by use of
Multibody-dynamic vehicle
simulations as mass-spring-
damper system and track with
variable sections
Computer Aided Design CAD
Finite element analysis
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The contact area of wheel / rail
corresponds almost completely
with the design criteria of a switch
device.
Wheel contact geometry (Del-
ta-Kappa, constant curvature
difference with different wheel
positions)
Load-optimized switch and
wheel transition
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VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
4
Rail Movement Joints
Different microstructure and hardness in the
switch rail sectionl
Milling of the switch rail
Production
The rail movement joints are
manufactured in accordance with
the technical terms of supply of
UIC and CEN, supplemented
by specific requirements of
the customer and the decade-
long experience of VAE.
The switches are prepared for
mounting of common types of
locks and switch machines.
For medium and high loads the
material grade R260 (S900) is
used for stock rails and switches.
Cast troughs are made from
high-manganese steel according
to UIC 866 and machined on the
running and the contact surfaces.
For highest loads, rails grade R350
HT (S900 HSH) (Head Special
Hardened) are used. They are
manufactured using a special
heat-treatment process. The fine
perlitic structure has particularly
high wear resistance, high tensile
strength and elongation which is
important in case of rolling contact.
VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
hardened area
shape of
the milled
tongue rail
hardeness HBW
5
Rail Movement Joints
Forging manufactured
Forging designed
Inductive Heat Treatment
Switchblade forging
The asymmetrical switch profile is
forged at the end to the required
rail profile. The tools and devices
for this essential technology are
designed and manufactured by
VAE in order to ensure top-class
quality and a reliable manufac-
turing process. The welded joint
is never in the transition area.
Heat Treatment
The zone with decreasing hardness
values in the HAZ of the forging is
eliminated by VAE using an elec-
tronically controlled heat-treatment
process. This patented process of
VAE reduces the formation of soft
spots on the running surface of
the switch. After the forging, the
fishing table has the same dimen-
sions as the rolled rail. The area
of the head and foot is machined
to get the required dimensions.
VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
6
Rail Movement Joints
Rail Movement Joints Scarf Type
The expansion rails for small and
medium range of movements are
made from halved flat-bottom
rails or full-head rails. Some
railways use this type of rail
movement joint for securing the
end of a continuously welded
track. For securing the gap in
the running edge (dependent on
design) a check rail is required
for medium expansion lengths.
Technical characteristics:
Advantages
Short length
Economical solution for short
movements
Depending on design, no
welded joint
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Material grade

Designation for stock rail and switchblade Hardness[HB] Tensile Strength

R260 (S900) x x 260 - 300 min. 880 N/mm

R350HT (S900 HSH) x x 350 390 min. 1175 N/mm
Technical characteristics:
Expansion length 50 to 200 mm
Speeds for low and medium
speeds

Axle loads for low and medium
axle loads / annual
loads

Requirements for low and medium
stability
VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
7
Rail Movement Joints
Schienenauszugsvorrichtung mit lngsbeweglichen asymmetrischen Zungen
Rail movement joints in this design
consist of completely clamped
stock rails and longitudinally
moving asymmetrical switches.
Their design principle corresponds
with that of a switch device there-
fore no check rails are required for
this design. The gauge widening
in the different positions is mini-
mal. This design can also be used
for curved tracks up to R = 350 m.
Technical characteristics:
Advantages
Proven and economical solution
for medium-length movements
Suitable for standard fastening
systems
Overrunning in both directions
at track speed possible
High wear allowance
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Material grade

Designation for stock rail and switchblade Hardness[HB] Tensile Strength

R260 (S900) x x 260 - 300 min. 880 N/mm

R350HT (S900 HSH) x x 350 390 min. 1175 N/mm
Technical characteristics:
Expansion length 100 bis 300 mm

Speeds for medium and high
speeds

Axle loads for medium axle loads /
annual loads
Requirements for high stability
VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
8
Rail Movement Joints
Rail movement joints with longitudinally moveable stock rails
Design with sledge
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 longitudi-
nally in two symmetrically arran-
ged 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 abut-
ment and the bridge for expansi-
on lengths of
up to 600 mm 1 sledge
up to 900 mm 2 sledges
from 900 mm min. 3 sledges
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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.
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SWITCH TO
THE RIGHT TRACK
VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
9
Rail Movement Joints
Dual-track design
Advantages
State-of-the-art solution for
large movements
High wear allowance
Extremely low maintenance
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Technical characteristics
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 BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
Technical characteristics
Material grade

Designation for stock rail and switchblade Hardness[HB] Tensile Strength

R260 (S900) x x 260 - 300 min. 880 N/mm
R350HT (S900 HSH) x x 350 390 min. 1175 N/mm
MN13 x as per UIC866
10
Rail Movement Joints
Monitoring of Rail Movement Joints
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 con-
ditions can be detected in advance
and corrected in time.
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VAE BASICS
PRODUCTS
ENGINEERING
QUALITY
Diamonds
DILATATIONEN
Buffer Stops
Sleepers
Coach-Screws
Transition Rail
Check Rail
Insulating Joint
Layouts, Turnouts and
Turnout Components
Setting Devices
Electronic Systems
SPECIAL TRACKWORK
COMPONENTS
Intelligent Turnout Systems,
Logistics
Ramp Crossing Turnout
Trailable Turnout
VAE GmbH
Rotenturmstrae 5-9
A-1010 Wien
T. +43/1/531 18-0
F. +43/1/531 18-222
www.voestalpine.com/vae