Ladder Sleeper Lateral Resistance Test and Contribution Analysis of Ballasted Track

The ladder sleeper with the advantages of good stability, less vibration, and reduction of the dynamic load transferred to the ballast can be used in high-speed, heavy-haul, and urban railways, but its lateral resistance has not been systematically studied yet. In this work, the lateral resistance of different shoulder widths （200, 300, 400 mm, and 500 mm） using the ladder sleeper was measured, and the contribution of lateral resistance was analysed and compared with that of a Chinese Ⅲc sleeper. The results show that for ballasted track with a 500 mm shoulder height and a flat shoulder, the lateral resistance of the ladder sleeper, comparing with the Chinese Ⅲc sleeper, increases 14% and 55%, respectively. The ladder sleeper lateral resistance is identical when the shoulder width increases from 200 to 500 mm. Additionally friction between the bottom of the ladder sleeper and ballast provides 34% of the total lateral resistance, leaving 47% provided by the crib and 19% provided by the end. This test shows that the ladder sleeper can be used in a smaller-section-size ballasted bed and it can largely decrease the construction area and the ballast usage.