Test Track 4: rail head mounting

[20.03.2023]

In the Emirate of Sharjah, uSky is building rail-string transport and infrastructure complex’s Test Track No. 4. At the moment, probably one of the most inconspicuous and, at the same time, one of the most important structural elements of track structure is being installed – the rail head and, accordingly, the raceway. It is the raceway that takes on all the loads from uPod wheels and transfers those to the rest of the transport overpass structure.

The study of the rolling process in machines has not made a pause for hundreds of years all over the world: the rolling of balls (or rollers) in bearings, the rolling of wheels of train cars along the rails. You might be surprised, but this is one of the most destructive processes. High contact stresses that occur at the wheel on rail contact point can destroy the strongest materials. Cyclic loading of raceway by wheel literally bites out steel particles, eventually leading to a complete destruction of a rail head. The quality of the raceway determines the noise of rolling stock motion and track structure durability.

Right now, uSky Transport is installing a unique railhead design enabling to minimize wear and noise and to ensure a rail service life of 100 years.

Loading one of the raceway elements into uncoiler

The combination of hardened steels with optimal load distribution from the wheels made it possible to achieve guaranteed reliability at 100 million load cycles, and that is the indicator that guarantees a 100-year service life of all elements of transport overpasses.

Manufacturing of rail head from heavy duty steel strips. Structural elements are fed to anchor support with subsequent integration into one unified profile

The use of modern compounds and filling aggregates, in turn, reduced the impact of vibration and shock loads during the passage of uPods – our steel wheel electric vehicles on rail.

Laying the leader cable. Installation work is carried out with ready-made prestressed belts of track structure without ground supports (non-landed installation)

It should also be noted, this combination of steel, composite materials and polymer compounds throughout the string rail cross section made the significant reduction of noise level possible.

Raceway on the flat rail head is a line. A line that includes a widest range of scientific and engineering research. And no matter how small and narrow this line is, it will always be under our control!