Abstract: A method for the manufacture of pretensioned prestressed concrete sleepers wherein, the tensioning wires are taken directly from one or more rolls of wire and are introduced in a longitudinal feed into a tensioning frame, and the tensioning wires (5) are initially anchored at the end thereof located at the front in feed direction. The wires are tensioned by a tensioning device arranged outside of the tensioning frame and resting against the opposite end thereof, and the wires (5) are anchored at the tensioning device; only then are the wires severed by means of a severing device. In this manner, it is possible to combine in a single station the operating stages of cutting to length, introducing and tensioning the wires, which stages in the past were distributed over several manufacturing stations, so that the labor intensive and time consuming manipulation of wires which have been previously cut to length is eliminated.

Abstract: A prestressed concrete railroad tie having a tie body made up of two end members for supporting rail attachment parts and a central section extending between and interconnecting the end members and having a transverse cross-section smaller than the transverse section of the end members. Tendons are located in the tie body and extend in opposite directions from a common vertical or horizontal plane in the central section into the end members. At tie ends of the end members the tendons are anchored and are uniformly distributed across the transverse cross-section of the end members. With the tendons centered in the central member, a narrow central member is afforded. The tendons fan outwardly from the common plane in the central section into the end members providing wider or larger end members. This prestressed concrete tie arrangement affords only low changing bending moments in the central section or a positive course of bending moments across the length of the tie.

Abstract: A railroad railway for rail-mounted vehicles capable of high speed travel includes a track grating formed of rails and ties with the ties partially embedded in a poured-in-place steel reinforced concrete slab. The concrete slab is mounted on a continuous concrete substructure with a separating layer arranged between the slab and substructure. A single layer of steel reinforcement is located in the concrete slab spaced below the ties. The slab is dimensioned so that it serves only for plate-like stiffening of the track grating without any appreciable inherent bending resistance. The slab is secured against longitudinal and transverse displacement of the substructure, while the substructure is dimensioned to absorb bending moments developed in the longitudinal direction of the rails. The concrete slab is divided in the longitudinal direction by transversely extending expansion joints whereby sections of the slab can be replaced if damage occurs.

Abstract: Prefabricated prestressed concrete members are formed on a stressing bed with a number of working stations arranged next to one another along the length of the bed. A frame froms the working stations and the frame is movable over the stressing bed. With a previously poured concrete member in one of the working stations, part of a form is placed in another working station and is filled with concrete. After the form part is completely filled and consolidated, a second form part is placed downwardly on the filled part completing the form. A lifting member on the frame which placed the second form part on the filled part is then moved to the station containing the previously poured member which is still within the form. The form is stripped from the concrete member and the frame is then moved along with the lifting member returning the stripped form to the working station where it is to be filled with concrete.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously producing finished prestressed concrete wires along a prestressing bed with a plurality of prestressing members which extend along the prestressing bed and which are arranged to pass through the concrete members when formed. The apparatus includes a scaffold which spans the prestressing bed in a gantry-like fashion and is supported for movement in a direction parallel to the bed. The scaffold extends over at least two adjacent stations along the prestressing bed for producing the finished prestressed concrete members. A number of vertically movable lower form members are carried on the scaffold for movement to a lowered position on the prestressing bed for receiving fresh concrete to form the concrete members. After the concrete members are formed and bonded the lower form member may be raised away from the finished concrete member.