Crushed stones also known as stone or track ballast play a pivotal role in railway tracks. They act as a support for the tracks and rails. The most prominent functions of stone ballast are providing a stable foundation, providing proper drainage and supporting the railway track. Furthermore, this material has been in use since the nineteenth century. Stone ballast is one of the most appropriate materials for a railway track. Moreover, there are different sizes of stone ballast. The size and type of the stone ballast depend upon the requirement of the railway track. There are numerous advantages of stone ballast, the chief among them are durability, cost-effectiveness and provision of drainage for water. Hence, this blog post sheds light on the importance of railway track material, specifically, stone or railway ballast, and its applications.
Benefits of Crushed Stone or Stone Ballast
Stone ballast has numerous benefits, but the most significant ones are discussed here;
Durability
The stones offer resistance to elements like rain, wind, sun, etc. They also provide a stable foundation for the tracks. Furthermore, the stone is resistant to wear and tear, even the weather cannot harm them no matter how harsh the weather is.
Cost-effectiveness
The stones or ballast are easily and widely available at affordable prices. Most importantly, the maintenance of stones is easy to do.
Drainage
Stones provide effective drainage to rainwater. They have pores in them; hence, they prevent water from standing stagnant. Additionally, they prevent waterlogging as well which can cause considerable damage to the rails and sleepers.
Size and Weight of Crushed Stone
Railway tracks have specific stone, size and weight. This is a very important to ensure effective railway track system. The size and weight of the crushed stones depend upon the type of railway track. The most common size used in railway tracks is 3/4 inches. This size is perfect to ensure stability. Gravel, soil, etc., are the materials which are used in construction tracks in combination with the crushed stones. Another size that is used in railway track construction is 1/2 inches. This size is used to fill holes and depressions or potholes in the track bed.
Applications of Crushed Stones
There are many applications of the crushed stones, but the few major ones are mentioned below;
- Stone ballast are used in the construction of roadbeds. It provides support and stability to the bed. The stones are effective both, cost wise and productivity wise.
- Crushed stones are also used in landscaping. They are used in constructing pathways, drainage channels, edging and decorative elements.
Conclusion
Railway track material: Stone or crushed stones play a very significant role in railway track. A proper size is necessary to maintain an effective railway track system. There are numerous benefits of railway track material. If you want to read about Building Information Modeling- Click here.
