The use of such plastic inserts and other soft fastening solutions in pre-stressed concrete sleepers and crossing bearers has become widespread within the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. The stiffness of these inserts is typically an order of magnitude lower than that of the surrounding concrete and their inclusion leads to significant stress concentrations. This article quantifies the magnitude of the stress raiser and explores the potential of these elevated stress levels to lead to fracture development.
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