Abstract:

Nowadays, rubber-tired urban public transportation vehicles are being replaced by more modern, regular and comfortable public transportation systems such as trains, subways, trams and light rail systems. Of these, the most widely applied system is the rail systems. Rail system elements are exposed to various environmental effects in open air and these issues should be taken into account when designing the elements. In this study, it is aimed to prevent the cracking and deterioration of the concrete sleepers, which form the infrastructure of the rail systems, and to ensure their longevity. In this experimental study, samples are produced using different dosages of basalt powder in order to prevent the damage to concrete sleepers by chemical methods used in the fight against snow and ice on highways and tests are performed on these samples. Fresh concrete and concrete sleeper samples that consist of control series and 5 different samples with basalt powder (pool sediment) additives at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by volume are produced. Durability tests are then carried out on these samples. The samples are subjected to a freeze-thaw cycle by means of a deep freeze. Unrefined NaCl salt concentration of 0.150 gr/cm2 are used on the surface of the specimens with and without basalt addition. The samples are produced using a plasticizer additive. Consistency determination, water absorption and air content tests for fresh concrete; compression, splitting tensile, bending, abrasion and freeze-thaw tests for hardened concrete are carried out. The sleeper specimens are loaded to compressive strength by mounting rails on them as utilized in the application, so the effects of basalt powder addition on the sleepers are determined with realistic behavior. The results obtained by making comparisons in terms of strength and durability properties allowed to determine the level of improvement that basalt powder will create in the durability properties of concrete sleepers.

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