Complete Replacement of Aged Sleepers Between Seodaesin and Dongdaesin... Track Structure Improvement
Fundamental Blocking of Ground-Transmitted Vibrations and Enhanced Train Operation Stability Expected
Busan Transportation Corporation (President Lee Byungjin) has begun a project to completely replace the aged wooden sleepers in the approximately 1 km section between Seodaesin and Dongdaesin stations on Subway Line 1 with concrete sleepers that have superior vibration-damping performance.
The corporation announced on May 13 that, from May 9 until the end of August, it will be installing "vibration-damping concrete sleepers" in this section to improve the track structure for vibration reduction and to ensure operational stability.
Busan Transportation Corporation is replacing the aged wooden sleepers in the Seodaesin to Dongdaesin section of Line 1 with vibration-damping concrete sleepers. Photo by Busan Transportation Corporation
The section between Seodaesin and Dongdaesin stations is located at an average underground depth of 20 meters, making it structurally likely that vibrations generated by passing trains could be transmitted to the surface. As a result, the corporation decided to replace the sleepers as a more fundamental measure to reduce vibrations.
Previously, the corporation implemented various vibration reduction measures, including lowering train speeds (from 40 km/h to 25 km/h), installing five rail lubricators, and conducting quarterly rail grinding. The current sleeper replacement is considered a more fundamental and structural response compared to these existing measures.
The newly introduced vibration-damping sleepers are equipped with 20 mm thick polyurethane vibration-damping pads attached to the underside of the sleepers, which fundamentally block the transmission of vibrations generated during train operation to the ground. Compared to the existing wooden sleepers, these offer greater structural stability, and rail joints can be welded, which also helps reduce the impact from train movement.
Alongside this project, the corporation plans to systematically analyze the technical effectiveness by measuring vibrations before and after sleeper replacement at four locations, and to expand the application of vibration-damping sleepers to other vibration-prone sections in the future.
Lee Byungjin, President of Busan Transportation Corporation, stated, "This improvement to the track structure is a technical response to the issue of subway vibrations," adding, "We will continue our efforts to create a comfortable transportation environment where citizens can use the subway with peace of mind."
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