Page 19 - ICJ Jan 2023

TECHNICAL PAPER COLLECTOR’S EDITION

were demoulded by turning the filled mould over
on its side and the sleeper carried clear off the
production area.

PROCESS MECHANISED

To satisfy the economic requirements for
labour and material saving, a new technique of
manufacture had to be evolved introducing the
principles of mass-production. In 1943 a factory
was designed on these lines ; each stage of the
Operators are using the hydraulic ramp for tensioning the
high-quality steel stressing wires used for reinforcement process was fully mechanised, a close control of the
before the concrete is poured into moulds. materials was obtained and the necessary methods
to reduce the labour factor were introduced, not
only by the use of plant but by a new process of
manufacture, resulting from the research made,
so that the characteristic feature of pre-stressing
was improved and maintained at a constant level
for each unit produced. The factory was built at
Tallington, Stamford, Lincolnshire ; work on its
construction was commenced in October, 1943,
and the factory was completed with full installation
A general view of the production centre, showing the of plant in August 1944.
method of fixing the moulds and placing the concrete
which is vibrated to render a high consolidation.

An oxyacetylene burner is used to separate sleepers
from each other after setting by cutting through the
reinforcement wires which are linking them together.
Filled sleepers receive trowelling treatment and
After the detensioning, the removable end-plates secondary vibration to assist consolidation of concrete
to the moulds were freed, and the wires burnt off before setting, curing and hardening has taken place.
flush to the concrete by an oxyacetylene cutter.
The Tallington factory has a manufacturing area
When the sleepers had been detached one from
of 500 feet long by 140 feet wide and allows for
the other by the wires being cut through, they
20 production lines, each accommodating 100

20 The Indian Concrete Journal | November 2018