Scince help?

Question

why are the gaps on the railways track

Answer 1

I suspect its an expansion and contraction thing, to stop the tracks buckling in hot weather. If you take a look at modern bridges, you will see the same gaps in the roads surface, that to is an expansion point to prevent the iron or concrete becoming stressed in sever weather conditions.

Answer 2

the gaps are where two pieces of rail come together

Answer 3

Rail expands and contracts a LOT with the weather changes.

Those gaps let it move back and forth a little bit. Cold weather causes as much or even more problems than heat.

On most high traffic railroads there are no gaps in the rails, they are welded in one continuous string and they are anchored to the ties so securely that the expansion and contraction is (hopefully) held in place so any contraction and expansion is held to vertical movement.

Even so, when it is very hot there is "thermal buckling" of tracks (we used to call 'em sun kinks) where the track actually kicks out to the side and sometimes causes derailments. (been there done that!)

The opposite reaction is when the stress from contraction in extremely cold weather is so severe that the rail actually breaks and pulls apart, sometimes the gap is several feet long.

Answer 4

The gaps between the ends of the rails allow for expansion in hot weather. I live and work in Minnesota, and in below zero weather a 39 foot rail can measure one inch shorter than in the summer time. This holds true for all steel formed in long lengths. Auto bridges are built with expansion gaps for the same purpose. If you look closely at my avatar, you'll see a sun-kink. That was the result of a 32 degree low at night that quickly warmed up to 85 by mid-day.

Answer 5

To accommodate expansion in hot weather