PRESTRESSED CONCRETE RAILWAY SLEEPERS

IHP introduced the Prestressed Concrete Monoblock Sleepers for railways in 1970. Prestressed Concrete Sleepers are made by the company by long line system initially in technical association with Dow Mac Concrete Ltd., of England, the then world leaders in sleepers. About 2 million IHP Sleepers made by the company are in the prestigious routes of Indian Railways.

The Company successfully completed a contract for operating a sleeper plant for Indian Railway Construction Company at Samawa in the Republic of Iraq in 1983 and Operated  one of the biggest sleeper plants at Abu Ghraib - Republic of Iraq  in 1982-85.

ADVANTAGES OVER TIMBER SLEEPERS

DURABILITY
The life of an IHP sleeper in track is estimated at not less than 50 years. This exceeds that of any type of timber sleeper, even in the most favorable of climate. In certain areas of the world extremes in temperature, humidity, fungus or insect attack, not to mention timber quality, reduces timber sleeper life  to as little as 15 years. 

ECONOMY + ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT
In some countries of the world, the economy of initial supply is now with the concrete sleeper. As suitable timber becomes scarce and increased production requirements reduce the price of the concrete sleeper, the comparison will become even more favorable to the concrete sleeper. Apart from this, use of concrete sleepers encourages the preservation of precious forest wealth.

LOW MAINTENANCE COSTS
Maintenance costs associated with concrete sleepers can show a significant saving over that for timber sleepers. The built-in nature of the fastening avoids the frequent attention which has to be given to the normal base-plate fastened to the timber sleeper.

STABILITY
The heavier IHP sleeper produces a higher resistance to lateral movement and also reduces the vertical movement under traffic of imperfectly packed sleepers; important factors in relation to continuous welded rail. In condition of excessive heat, a concrete sleeper track is less prone to vertical and horizontal distortion, and this has important safety as well as maintenance implications.

MAINTENANCE OF GAUGE
Due to the rigidity of the cast-in portion of the rail fitting, a concrete sleeper maintains the rail gauge much better than a timber sleeper, where the increase of gauge over the years is an accepted phenomenon. This applies especially to curved track.