Rail Screw Spike Fastening System
The Railway Screw Spike (also known as rail screw or tirefond) is a threaded steel fastener engineered to secure rails to wooden sleepers or concrete sleeper inserts through helical thread engagement, providing superior pull-out resistance compared to non-threaded alternatives . Manufactured from low-carbon steels including SAE1015 and medium-carbon grades 35#, 45#, and 40Mn2, with property classes ranging from 4.6 to 8.8, these spikes achieve tensile strength of 400–800 MPa depending on specification .
Technical Specifications:
| Standard | Scope | Material Requirements | Key Tests | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A66-21 | Steel screw spikes for rails, tie plates, ties | Electric-furnace or basic-oxygen steel; hot or cold-formed heads/threads | Tension and bend tests | North American railroads |
| UIC864-1 Series | Ss5, Ss8, Ss25, Ss36 types | Q235, 35#, 45#, 40Mn2, 20MnSi | Dimensional and mechanical verification | European mainline applications |
| AS 1085.18-2003 | Screw spikes and threaded inserts | Steel screw spikes for timber or concrete inserts | Timber pull-out tests; torque tests; lateral load tests | Australian railways |
| NBR 8497 | Brazilian standard for screw spikes | SAE1015 carbon steel | Chemical, microstructural, tensile, hardness | Brazilian railroads |
Installation & Maintenance Perspective:
- Research on Brazilian railways reveals screw spikes frequently fail in the 2nd thread region due to stress concentration under increased axle loads
- Computational simulation confirms that thread geometry creates high stress concentrations; modifications to thread profile can improve service life without changing steel composition
- Failures occur in two primary situations: overload during installation, or in-service fatigue after millions of loading cycles-the latter being most recurrent and serious
Maintenance & Operational Perspective
- Pull-out resistance: 0.5–1.0 times higher than common rail spikes, but thrust (lateral) resistance is 50% lower-a fundamental trade-off requiring careful application selection
- Recommended for medium to heavy-load lines, frequently used industrial tracks, and turnouts where higher pull-out forces are required
- Due to disassembly inconvenience and difficulty adjusting rail gauge, screw spikes are generally used on railway turnouts rather than continuous mainline track
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