EP2690218B1 - Method for crack repair on concrete sleepers for railway tracks - Google Patents

Description

Process for crack repair on concrete sleepers of track systems also on installed concrete sleepers, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Cracked or burst concrete sleepers are currently a significant problem in the rehabilitation of track systems, as they must be laboriously removed and replaced. A renovation of these concrete sleepers, which may remain in the rehabilitation in the track system, is highly desirable, as a result, the refurbishment costs can be significantly reduced and a fully functional concrete sleeper is restored.

Out JP 2007 255039 A or WO 2010/096182 A1 is the crack repair on concrete sleepers by injection of a filler known. JP 2007 255039 A describes a method wherein a coating is performed after the crack has been dammed. WO 2010/096182 A1 describes a method for repairing railway sleepers using UV-curable polymers. The object of the invention is to provide a method for crack repair on concrete sleepers of track systems, with time-consuming work such as the removal of the track, the track bed and the concrete sleeper can be avoided and a reliable complete crack filling is possible.

With the invention is achieved in the specified application that a method for crack repair on concrete sleepers of track systems is created, wherein in successive steps on the concrete sleeper damage analysis or crack analysis takes place and then takes place a damming of existing cracks. An infill is injected over areas of the perimeter to be cleared. In this case, however, it is taken into account that corresponding areas of the damming are exposed and filled in succession with a corresponding crack course. This ensures that the backfilling or the injection of the cracks is completely and reliably carried out. The stability of the concrete sleeper is restored. The process allows the rehabilitation of concrete sleepers without them to remove the glass plant. Elaborate track work such as removing the rail or the track bed or parts of the track bed and the longer-term locking of track systems can be omitted. A significant cost advantage is achieved by using a low pressure pump. As a result, adverse effects of high pressure applications, such as shear forces and dynamic pressure and thus Verfüllhindernisse can be avoided.

Advantageous embodiments of the method are shown in claims 2 to 10.

With the development according to claim 2, the leakage of the filling material from the crack is monitored in a fifth step. Based on the monitoring result, the low-pressure pump is controlled. This monitors the quality of backfilling and the reliability of the process. According to claim 3 is used as filler one-component, two-component or multi-component epoxy resin or polyurethane. Depending on the initial conditions such as humidity, type of pre-contamination and degree of contamination as well as the damage pattern, the optimum fillers can be selected, put together and used. This improves the quality of the process and the subsequent remediation.

In the claim 4, the respective cracks are rinsed by means of a solvent, the initial conditions in terms of moisture, the type of pre-pollution and the degree of contamination can be positively influenced and completely eliminated. Thus, the filler to be used receives optimal Einsatzmöglichleiten and bonding options for concrete material of the concrete threshold.

According to claim 5, the crack is blown out. This allows residues of the solvent used or others Remove residues. The quality of the restoration and the reliability of the backfilling are improved.

With the development according to claim 6, the injection device is used at the free surface by means of filler neck in the crack or placed on the crack by means of rubber lip. As a result, optimal backfilling or injections of the filling material are achieved. Thus, the quality of the process is improved.

In which the filling is carried out as a single operation according to claim 7, breaks in the overall strength of the filler are avoided by time-delayed introduction and curing. The reliability of the process is improved.

According to claim 8, the filling is carried out even with continuous or unsteady mechanical stress of the monolithic material. Thus, the backfilling or rehabilitation of concrete sleepers are possible even in short traffic breaks between trains. Elaborate blockages can be avoided. As a result, a not to be underestimated cost advantage is achieved.

According to claim 9, the concrete threshold in the region of the crack or the crack is mechanically expanded. This simplifies the filling process and makes it more reliable.

In the development according to claim 10, an individual sealing of the lower threshold region takes place with continuous cracking by means of a fast-potting material by a lateral introduction. This ensures that the cracks are closed in the lower part of the threshold and thus the subsequently introduced backfill can not escape down from the threshold.

• Fig. 1 bis 3 eine partielle Darstellung von einer Betonschwelle in jeweils verschiedenen Ansichten mit unterschiedlichen Rissbildern,
• Fig. 4 und 5 eine partielle Darstellung von einer Betonschwelle mit am Riss angesetzten Einfüllstutzen und
• Fig. 6 eine partielle Darstellung von einer Betonschwelle mit einem die Schwelle bearbeitenden mechanischen Werkzeug im Bereich eines Risses.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. Show it:

• Fig. 1 to 3 a partial representation of a concrete sleeper in different views with different crack patterns,
• 4 and 5 a partial representation of a concrete sleeper with attached to the crack filler neck and
• Fig. 6 a partial representation of a concrete sleeper with a threshold machining mechanical tool in the region of a crack.

The rehabilitation of cracks 1 on concrete sleepers 6 represents a high cost factor for the operators of track systems.

By means of the method according to the invention, it is possible to repair the cracks, with the concrete sleeper 6 to be rehabilitated remaining in the track system during the refurbishment. In the method according to the invention for crack repair on concrete sleepers 6, the renovation takes place in successive steps after a detailed crack analysis. Depending on the degree of wetness and the degree of soiling and the type of contamination, the crack is first blown out and rinsed with a solvent which, for example, is hydrophobic. Depending on the cleaning result, the crack 1 or the cracks 1 are blown out again. After the cleaning process, the damming 2 of the crack 1 or the cracks 1. The damming 2 takes place here based on the crack analysis. For this purpose, the damming 2 is applied to the crack 1 so that it is completely covered. The damming 2 is applied in strips along the crack 1 on the crack 1, wherein the damming 2 is made removable at intervals. For this purpose, the crack is covered, for example, across the crack course and superimposed by the damming 2. In the following step, you will be in the designated places by removing the damming 2 open spaces 3 produced. If necessary, at this point of the process on the open spaces 3 again a purging and rinsing of the crack 1 or the cracks. 1

At the open spaces 3, the filler 4 is injected into the crack 1 by means of a per se known injection device and a low-pressure pump. This is possible with the aid of so-called packers, ie filler neck 5, which are arranged in the crack 1, or by means of attachable or compressible on the crack 1 rubber lips 6. As a result, an optimal Verfüllergebnis is achieved. By means of a pressure drop sensor, the low-pressure pump is controlled so that the filling material 4 can penetrate into the crack 1 without bubbles. Furthermore, in a further step, the backfilling is monitored by monitoring the escape of the filling material 4 from the crack 1. Based on the monitoring result, the low-pressure pump is controlled. The filling is carried out without interruption as a single operation, whereby, taking into account the pot life of the respective filling material 4, the filling process can be delayed.

As filler 4 is both an epoxy resin and polyurethane in question. Especially with the use of polyurethane, rinsing of the crack 1 with a hydrophobic solvent, such as acetone, is necessary to avoid the consequences of the unfavorable interaction of the polyurethane with water, whereby the necessary stability would not be achieved.

The suitable choice of filler 4 allows filling even with continuous or unsteady mechanical stress on the concrete sleeper 6.

To simplify the filling, a mechanical extension of the crack 1 or the area is provided directly at the crack. Here, special care is required to to avoid further damage to the concrete sleeper 6. By the extension of the crack 1, the filler neck 5 and the rubber lips 5 can be set so that an escape of the filler 4 will be avoided directly at the filling point.

By applying the method of rehabilitating concrete sleepers 6 of track systems, the time-consuming and costly measures, such as a long-term barrier of the route and a removal of the track and the track bed are avoided because the concrete sleepers 6 remain in the track system. In addition, this method allows an application even during operation of the route, so that delayed in the temporary train traffic, the rehabilitation and the break is normal in the train breaks.

With continuous cracks 1 to the underside down to the threshold floor, a material with a rapid popping action is introduced laterally in this area by means of an injector. This material is a jelly-like, fast-potting material, which is adjusted according to air humidity, dew point and building temperature. After curing of this material, the fourth step is carried out according to claim 1.

Compilation of the reference numerals

1

- Crack

2

- Damming

3

- open space

4

- filler

5

- filler neck, rubber lip

6

- Concrete threshold

7

- Drill

Claims (11)

1. Method for repairing cracks in concrete sleepers (6) by means of injection of a filling material, wherein the crack(s) (1) is/are at least partially sealed with a sealing (2) known per se in the upper region of the concrete sleeper (6) on the surface thereof,
   characterised by the following features,

   - in that in a first step a crack analysis is carried out,

   - in that in a second step, with reference to the crack analysis, the at least one crack (1) is sealed in such a manner that the sealing (2) is preferably applied in the form of a strip along the at least one crack (1) so as to cover the crack (1), wherein the sealing (2) is carried out along the crack (1) with spacing so as to be able to be removed,

   - in that in a third step as a result of the removal of the sealing (2) at least one free face (3) is produced,

   - in that in a fourth step on the at least one free face (3) the filling material (4) is injected into the crack (1) by means of an injection device known per se and a low-pressure pump, wherein the low-pressure pump is controlled by means of a pressure drop sensor, and

   - in that the third and fourth steps are carried out one after the other in an alternating manner until the filling is complete.
2. Method according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   in a fifth step the discharge of the filling material (4) from the crack (1) is monitored and the low-pressure pump is controlled with reference to the monitoring result.
3. Method according to claims 1 and 2,
   characterised in that
   single-component, dual-component or multi-component epoxy resin or polyurethane is used as the filling material (4).
4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the at least one crack (1) is flushed before the second step and/or before the fourth step by means of a solvent.
5. Method according to claim 4,
   characterised in that
   the crack (1) is blown out before the flushing, after the flushing, before the second step and/or before the fourth step.
6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the injection device is inserted into the crack (1) on the free face (3) by means of a filling connector (5) or is placed on the crack (1) by means of a rubber lip (5).
7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the filling is carried out as one operating step.
8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the filling is also carried out with continuous or discontinuous mechanical loading of the monolithic material (6).
9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the concrete sleeper (6) is mechanically expanded in the region of the crack (1) and/or the cracks (1).
10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that, in the event of continuous crack formations as far as the lower side in the lower region of the concrete sleeper, a rapidly seeping material is introduced by means of an injector laterally in this region and, after hardening, the fourth step is carried out.
11. Use of the method according to claims 1 to 10,
    characterised in that
    concrete sleepers of track systems are repaired, wherein the concrete sleepers remain in the track installation and the rails and the track bed remain undisturbed.

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