APPLICATIONS OF PVC PIPES !!

PVC pipes are used in many ways and commonly used for water transport for drinking purpose. It is also used as removal of waste products to drainage from the roof or grounds.

For Drinking Water

The PVC pipes are used for supply water with control pressure. The main purpose is to distribute the drinking water. The pipes are used for it are medium-size and the diameter is between 75 mm and 250 mm.

The pipes are used for irrigation have same geometrical and mechanical characteristics.

Soil and Waste

Pipes are also used for waste water disposal as there are no pressure required and it is used inside building. It has medium diameter of 160 mm makes it compact PVC.

Sewage and Underground Drainage

The pipes and fittings are used underground horizontally for collection and disposal of waste water. The diameter of pipes is between 160 mm and 630 mm.

Rainwater

There are also a above-ground rainwater products like gutter and downpipes are available between 50 mm and 160 mm. It is available in both domestic and industrial use. For this application pipes are designed to use outside.

Hot and Cold

The chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipes and fittings handle both hot and cold water for heating water system installation. These pipes are hot water pressure resistance.

Other Applications

Cable Protection

This type of pipe is used to protect electric cable inside. There is may be corrugated or smooth and having diameter of maximum 25 mm. There is also a larger diameter pipes of 50-100 mm used for underground cable protection made with compact PVC.

Fittings

There are many types of pipes, fittings and valves are available with various diameter. There are many designs and connections are made with fittings. It has many varieties like straight pipes, bends, branches, tees, reducers, clips, brackets and many more. These can be joints with simply push-fit or with solvent cementing. This joint provide system with gaps and are easy to install.

Industrial Piping Application

PVC piping systems are used for long times for cooling water process, transport hazardous chemicals as the PVC is high corrosion resistance. It is highly suitable to transport toxic chemicals from one place to another. PVC pipes are economical beneficial, safe and has less maintenance.

Fire Sprinkler

The CPVC pipes are used in fire sprinkler. The fire sprinkler systems are installed in places like library, museum, theatre, office, hotel, high-rise buildings etc.

Looking for pvc pipe machine manufacturers, then we are leading pvc pipe machine manufacturers in India.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INJECTION BLOW MOULDING AND EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING !!

Manufacturers are known the difference between two blow moulding processes. It is quite difficult to understand the difference. Here we will explain the difference between injection blow moulding and extrusion blow moulding.

Let’s start with Extrusion Blow Moulding Process

Extrusion blow moulding is commonly used type of blow moulding. In this process the plastic is melted to its boiling temperature. The melted plastic is extruded into a hollow tube which is generally known as parison. After that the air is blown to plastic and inflated according to the mould. Then plastic is cool down and after sufficient cooled, the mould is opened and product is come out from mould.

The blow moulding products are used in Traffic safety products, Automotive Ducts, Stadium Seating and Chairs, Trays, Containers, Coolers, Reservoirs and Tanks, Stands, Floats, Toys and Sporting Goods, Panels and Doors, Household products and Watering Cans and many more. SMP is leading blow moulding machine manufacturer in India.

Now Injection Blow Moulding Process

Injection blow moulding is another type of blow moulding where polymer is injected into a core pin. After that the pin is rotate to blow moulding station and there it is inflated and cool down. This process is not so preferred and used only to manufacture particular items like syringes.

There are variety of products are made with injection blow moulding process like dropper bottles, jars, ovals-cylindrical and boston rounds, tablet and pill bottles and many more.

What is the difference?

The main difference between blow moulding and injection moulding is process used to make a product. There is two-dimensional product is made with extrusion blow moulding and there is three-dimensional product is manufacture with injection blow moulding process. The other difference is in the tool used in the processes.

The next difference is time taken to complete the process. The injection blow moulding process took less time than the extrusion blow moulding. The scrap or residue makes the difference between two processes. In the extrusion blow moulding process, the scrap is with flash and trimming where the other have no flash and trimming. There is also difference in part thickness of machine used in extrusion and injection blow moulding processes. The part thickness is depending on the how much material is stretched in the extrusion blow moulding and with the injection it is on the relationship between core and mold.

The extrusion blow moulding process is simple then the injection moulding process. It is also depending on the material used from poor to excellent. The styrene is commonly used in the process which is poor material. The PP and PC are balanced products where HDPE is suitable for extrusion process.

The materials like Styrene, PP, PC and HDPE are suitable for injection process.

If you want to buy a Blow Moulding, SMP is leading HDPE blow moulding machine manufacturer in India.

EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT FOAMED CONCRETE !!

The full form of CLC is Cellular Lightweight Concrete. It also known as foamed
concrete. CLC is mainly used in construction as it has many benefits than the regular concrete bricks.

This foamed concrete is concrete with Portland cement, fly ash, water, sand
and preformed foam with various proportions. CLC can be easily manufactured at construction site with the same machine moulds used for normal concrete.

The main characteristic of this foamed concrete is its self-compacting property
and the compaction is not required. It is easily flowing through pump to the
mould. This helps to pumped it to the maximum distance and height.

The structure of CLC (Cellular Lightweight Concrete)

The clc mainly contains fly ash, cement and foam.

Fly Ash: The fly ash is a waste product of thermal power plants. It is not easily disposed. Fly ash is mainly used as raw material in CLC which solves the problem of disposal and also it is cost effective. The use of fly ash in clc makes it eco-friendly.

Cement: It is a mixture of Portland Cement, cement-silica, lime-pozzolana, cement-pozzolana and lime-silica. These all have same cell structure and they can get from gas-forming chemicals of foaming agents at measured levels.

Cellular Lightweight Concrete Manufacturing

These bricks are manufactured with mixing of raw ingredients in the concrete mixer. Strength is depending on the material used and also the air pocket content.

The continues CLC is made with mixing of light mortar and preformed foam with pressure in special static mixer.

What is the density of CLC?

Density is measured in KG per m3. The density of concrete is 2400 kg/m3. The foamed concrete density is between 400 kg/m3 to 1800 kg/m3.

The CLC density, is increased by foam filling. The foam is generated by foam-generator. The fly ash in clc decreases the density but it not affects the overall structure and strength. 

Cellular Lightweight Concrete (CLC) are made with different density for various purposes.

Lower Density (400-600 kg/m3): The lower density clc are used for thermal and sound insulations. This density resists the fire, termite and moisture. The CLC is used as an alternating of glass wood, wood wool and thermocol.

Medium Density (800-1000 kg/m3): These bricks are used to make pre-cast blocks which are used for non-load bearing brickwork. It can be manufactured according to design and need.

High Density (1200-1800 kg/m3): This is a structural grade density and used in load-bearing walls and also in the ceiling of low-rise structures. It is also used in formation of partitioning walls and manufacture of pre-cast blocks for load-bearing brickwork. 

Benefits of CLC (Cellular Lightweight Concrete)

Lightweight – The CLC is lightweight and it helps in weight management of building material and craning work.

Fire Resistance – Air pockets in the CLC bricks make it fire resistance. The more density in the clc walls can withstand for hours in fire.

Thermal Insulation – The low density clc bricks are suitable for thermal insulation. It also supports structure.

Sound Absorption – It increases the acoustical insulation.

Eco-friendly – The fly ash is used in the clc.

Cost-Effective – As it is eco friendly and also the production cost is less than concrete block which saves the overall construction cost.

The CLC (Cellular Lightweight Concrete) are termite proof and also resist to freezing. You can make this in cement bricks machine.

Where it is used?

- It is suitable for thermal insulation as bricks and clocks than the flat roofs and non-loading walls.

- Low density bricks are used in old sewer pipes, wells, unused cellars and basements, storage tanks, tunnels and subways.

- The heat-insulated light wall panel are made with clc.

- It also manages to maintain acoustical balance of concrete.

- It is used in light heat resistant ceramic tiles.

- For soil water drainage.

- It prevents freezing in bridges.

- Used for perlite plaster and lightweight concrete. 

Difference between Lightweight Concrete and Aerated Concrete?

Many have confusion between gas or aerated concrete. The bubbles in the aerated concrete are formed chemically by the reaction between aluminium powder, calcium hydro oxide and other alkaline.

There is a mixing of air-entraining agent with concrete in Aerated concrete. And the foam concrete is made with different technique.

Cellular lightweight concrete has various properties according to their use in different building projects in the world. It also prevents the air, water and noise pollution.

These bricks are more suitable as it has many properties like fire resistance, eco friendly and it is also a preferred material for contractors and architects.

Looking for concrete block making machine then Q Green Techcon PVT. LTD. Manufactures wide range of machines.

KNOW WHY AUTOMOBILE MARKET IS SLOWING DOWN !!

India’s automobile market is in deep trouble.Mahindra & Mahindra has registered a fall of 15 per cent in total monthly sales to 40,142 units in July 2019.The domestic sales of Honda Cars India have dived 48.67 per cent to 10,250 units in July 2019.TVS Motor Company has reported a sales decline of 13 per cent to 2,79,465 units in July 2019.

This massive drop in sales has happened despite the introduction of recent models like the Mahindra’s XUV300, the Hyundai Venue and the MG Hector.

Thus, this has caused a chain reaction across the industry ranging from manufacturers offering a number of discounts and offers and new launches to help instigate demand. Due to less demand, manufacturers are also having to cut down on production, sometimes even shutting their factories down to adjust inventory.Let us discuss the reasons behiend the slowdown in this article.

Reasons behind this slowdown:

1.)The automobile sector was impacted due to impending general elections, where uncertainty over outcome drove people to postpone vehicle purchases.

2.)Severe floods in some areas also affected the sales figure.

3.)In addition, credit availability is tight, fuel prices are high, a judicial intervention has raised upfront insurance costs sharply, and the prices of automobiles have gone up on account of higher input costs.

4.)Due to the Electric Vehicle roadmap, customers have fears that any vehicle that they purchase could potentially become obsolete in the next decade or so. Thus they are clearly looking to hold on to their current vehicles in order to avoid an unnecessary purchase if EVs are on the way. 

5.)Higher and non-standard road taxes, which have been too frequent and inconsistent have led to auto-makers having to increase prices of vehicles.

6.)The ever-rising GST on automotive parts and vehicles has also added to the woes of the industry. This has eventually led to customers shying away from buying these vehicles and a downturn in sales. 

7.)With increase in public transport,metro and services like OLA and Uber have also compelled people of not buying their own vehicle.

KNOW WHY BASE OF PACKAGED WATER BOTTLE IS FLAT !!

The bumps or the corrugations in the foot of the bottle increases the strength of the bottle. Take a sheet of paper and fold it. You can easily fold the paper. Now bend any one side of the sheet and try to fold it. You will now feel some resistance. Now, roll the paper into a pipe and try folding it. It will be little hard to fold the paper pipe. Bending any material increases its strength and rigidity. This is because; rolling the paper increases its moment of inertia around the bending axis.

Soft drinks are served chilled. When a liquid is cooled, its volume changes and the bottle must not buckle because of this change in volume. The corner or the tip of the bump can slightly expand/contract without breaking which takes care of the change in volume of the liquid.

Soft drink bottles have to stand up to pressure because of the carbonation. The 5 point bottoms are designed to hold the pressure better. A 5 point bottom isn't the only way, its just one way that works well and is in common use.Because bottles of carbonated liquid are pressing outward, which would cause a flat bottom to bulge out, become rounded, and then wouldn't stand up right any more -- the five points make a steady base no matter how much pressure is inside.

Bottled water is not carbonated so there is no need for a pointed bottom. A flat bottom uses less plastic, and holds up better in drop testing.

KNOW WHY I-SECTION BEAMS ARE USED FOR RAILWAY TRACKS !!

Generally rail tracks are made in I Section.We might wonder many times that why any other shape is not used.We might also wonder, why solid section is not used??We will discuss the reason behind selection of I beam for railway tracks in this article.

The usual, Flat Footed rails used for Broad Gauge lines is shown below with its components below.

This is typical shape of the cross-section of a track laid with Flat-footed Rails.

The Bull headed rails resemble the 'I' shape more correctly.

These are shaped so for following purposes:

> The top portion or the HEAD of the rail is thicker to take up the impact of the fast moving wheels, and carry the load of trains preventing abrasion of the tracks.

>The WEB of the rail is to uplift the train from the ground level; and as the inner flanges of wheels are of greater area than the outer flanges as shown below, so the web mainly provides clear cover (distance) between wheel base and the sleeper/ ballast layer.

>The FLAT FOOT provides two-fold purpose. Easy clamping i.e fixing to the sleeper beneath it because of wider area as well as greater surface area due to flat foot helps in load transfer to the sleeper more efficiently which further transfers the load to ballast and later sub-base.

WHY I-SHAPED ONLY USED,WHY NOT ANY OTHER SHAPE:

• A beam is more efficient when more material is AWAY from the center. It’s has more strength as compared to solid.

• Upper half should be wide enough to support the wheel and lower half should be wide & thick enough for clamping. Taking out extra materials saves significant amount of iron without compromising over strength thus giving it the shape of what you asked.
• Rail needs to be stiff in the vertical direction to take the load of the train.
• It needs to be relatively flexible in the horizontal direction so it can easily bend around curves.So material is reduced at the center to allow a bit of flexibility.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COOLANT AND LUBRICANT EXPLAINED !!

We will be talking these two terms in context to engine.

COOLANT :

Coolant in engine is used to absorb the heat of the engine. It is used in radiator and circulated outside the engine(They pass through the engine through jackets provided).

Water is used as coolant but now a days chemicals are used along with water. They prevent the rusting, cool engine fast and doesn't freeze.

LUBRICANT:

Lubricants are used inside the engine. They are hydrocarbons made up of base oil and additives. Base oil is the product of refining of crude like diesel and petrol and additives are chemicals mixed with base oil for specific purposes.

They reduce friction, seals the engines, indicates service life, clean the carbon, cool the engines, preventing breaking of parts and distributes the pressure. Lubricants outside the engine are used as greases and gear oil.

KNOW WHY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLE GIVES LESS MILAGE THEN MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE !!

You might have wondered why 100cc scooter gives less mileage than 100cc manual transmission bike. Think about it where a 100cc scooter returns mileage near 40-50 Kmpl, an average 100cc motorcycle provides mileage over 60 Kmpl. The answer to this question lies in the transmission used where the scooters use automatic CVT transmission, while motorcycles use a proper 4 or 5 speed manual transmission.We will discuss about the reason behind this in this article.

Lets start with the purpose of a gearbox. The engine of a vehicle runs at a certain rotary speed or revolutions per minute ( RPM ). The required speed of revolution of the wheels is usually much less than that. For example, a typical 100cc bike engine can rev upto 6000rpm, but if the wheels ( 18 inch dia ) of a typical 100cc bike move at that speed, it would reach a velocity of 518 kmph!
So basically the gearbox is the intermediate mechanism which allows the engine and wheels to run at different rpm. 

The scootys use a system called a Continuously Variable Transmission ( CVT ), which in its simplest form is just a a cone pulley system with belts which allows for automatic adjustment of speed. The 100cc bike on the other hand has a manual gearbox, which requires you to manually select an ideal gear ratio for the given speed. Usually bikes have 5 gear speed ratios to choose from nowadays and they are thus called 5 speed gearboxes. 

Fuel economy depends on your RPM. The lower the rpm, the better fuel economy. Bikes with gears allow us to shift into higher gears and by doing so, the rpms decrease.At a given speed (say 40kmph), when in higher gear (4th gear), the bike has lesser rpms as compared to it going at same speed (40kmph) in a lower gear (3rd).In a gearless scooter, the rpms just keep building up continuously. So it has lesser fuel economy. 

Also, another major contributor to this is the fact that gearless scooters have a centrifugal clutch. In such a system, as the speed is building up, the centrifugal force acting on the clutch increases. Thus, it always remains partially engaged (detached from the input shaft). This translates into power loss and thus lesser fuel economy.  

 
The clutch is not controlled by the rider, it works automatically, and the clutch is also a pretty inefficient unit which draws its power from none other than the engine. This results in more loss of power and to make that up in terms of performance, the efficiency of the scooter takes a hit.

But most consumers don't mind because of the convenience of not shifting gears manually seems a fair trade-off. However, automatic transmissions are getting more high tech as we speak, and very soon this difference in efficiency will be negligible. 

KNOW WHY NEW TEST VEHICLES ARE CAMOUFLAGED !!

We have all seen photos of anticipated upcoming models wrapped in black padding and crazy checkerboard and swirl patterns, and might have wondered if all that is really necessary.We will discuss the reason behind wrapping the new cars in this article.

While much of a new car or truck’s development happens behind closed doors, there’s no substitute for real-world testing on both private tracks and public roads, at which point a test vehicle – called a “mule” in automotive language.After manufacturing every vehicle has to be tested on road to see how it behaves.

To travel in public , automotive engineers for decades have employed visual deception which is known as camouflage to disguise what they are working on or testing from the eyes of always interested and ever-present media and competitive automakers.

Camouflage is important to automakers as they develop and test vehicles, for a variety of reasons. An accidental early look at a new design can impact the sales of existing vehicles as consumers compare their current purchase considerations to those on the horizon.

The camouflage is there to deceive your eyes. Most car companies use them to protect the design of their, soon to be released, cars. The camouflage hides any sleek edges and doesn't give a clear look into the car's details. No, it doesn't necessarily hide the car as a whole and they are usually easy to distinguish what type of car it is. But, it does hide their new design.

Lets compare, we'll use the 2016 Honda civic as an example. Look specifically at the hood. notice any fine details to the hood like raising or lowering sections? You can also see this "illusion" in the grill of the car, where the Honda logo would be located. and lastly look towards the sides of the doors, notice how the non-camouflaged one looks to cave-in more towards the bottom.

The last thing a manufacturer wants is for its upcoming model to create a market that it is not ready to fill. Worse yet, when the car is finally released, its design can feel stale because the internet and magazines have been publishing pictures of it for a year or two. 

COMMON DIFFERENCE EXPLAINED !!

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESUME AND CV:

A curriculum vitae (CV) provides a summary of your experience and skills. Typically, CVs for entry-level candidates are longer than resumes – at least two or three pages. CVs for mid-level candidates who have amassed numerous publications tend to run much longer. CVs are thus lengthier than resumes, and include more information, particularly details related to one’s academic and research background.

A resume provides a summary of your education, work history, credentials, and other accomplishments and skills. There are also optional sections, including a resume objective and career summary statement. A resume should be as concise as possible. Typically, a resume is one page long, although sometimes it can be as long as two pages.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUARANTEE AND WARRANTY: 

Guarantee is a commitment made by the manufacturer to the buyer. Just like a guarantor stands behind a loan, the manufacturer stands behind the product. If a product under guarantee is of low quality, it will be either repaired/replaced, or the money paid will be refunded to the buyer.

Warranty is an assurance given by the manufacturers to buyers, that if the product breaks or if there is any problem with the product, the manufacturer will repair the product for free.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WATER RESISTANT,WATER REPELLENT AND WATER PROOF:

Water-resistant, this is the lowest level of water protection of the three. If a device is labeled as water-resistant it means that the device itself may be built in such a way that it is more difficult for water to get inside of it, or possibly that it is coated with a very light substance that helps improve the device’s chances of surviving an encounter with water. Water-resistant is something you see commonly among watches, giving it the power to withstand the average hand-washing or light rain shower.

Water-repellent, which is basically just a step up from water-resistant. If a device is labeled as water-repellent it actually possesses the properties in which to, you guessed it, repel water from it, making it hydrophobic. A water-repellent device stands a very high chance of being coated with some form of thin-film nanotechnology, whether that is on the inside, outside, or both, and has a much better chance of standing up to water than your average device. Many companies claim water-repellency, but the term is heavily debated because of all the questions and unpredictable elements associated with it.

Waterproof, on the other hand, describes materials or products that can stand complete submersion without taking in any amount of water. They are suitable for camping, swimming, snowboarding, diving, and many more activities since they can be waterproof to great water depths for a long time. The nature of a waterproof product or material is that it is made with absolutely no holes or pores that might let in water. These products are specifically made for use in environments that have plenty of water. However, on the market today, there are a lot of products that are labeled waterproof but aren’t really waterproof – especially electronic devices. This is especially so because different products have different ‘scales’ or ‘levels’ that determine what should be labeled as waterproof or water-resistant.

KNOW WHY OFF ROAD MOTORBIKES HAVE SPOKE WHEELS !!

You might have seen most of the adventure motorbike uses spoke wheels instead of alloy wheels.We will discuss about the reason in this article.

There are two types of wheels you’ll see with modern motorcycle: wire-spoked wheels and alloy wheels.From first commercial motorcycles in the early-1900s up until about the late-’60s, wire-spoke wheels were majorly used.Then we shifted to alloy wheels and now a days a major portion of manufacturers are using alloy wheels.But still you will see most of the bikes use spoked wheels.They come under the category of Adventure Bikes such as Royal Enfield Himalayan,Trimph Tiger,Hero Xpulse,BMW R 1250 GS etc.

Spoked wheels are all but mandatory on off-road bikes — dirt bikes, enduros, scramblers and ADVS — for one simple reason: spoked wheels are more durable than single piece cast wheels. On the road, while riding around on your street bike, you (hopefully) don’t encounter large rocks or massive ruts — maybe the occasional pothole,but these are adventure bikes are made for rough terrains where alloy may bend.Once alloy is bend it can't regain its shape whereas spoked wheels can bend and flex to a certain degree letting you tackle the rougher terrain.Also these spokes increase the torsional strength of the wheel.The number of times a spoke crosses other spokes on the same side increases torsional strength.

In short,adventure bikes are made for rough terrains wherein they require a wheel that can be ductile and this is fulfilled by spoke wheels.The spokes of spoke wheel take major portion of shock and prevents the deformation of wheel.

KNOW WHY STONES ARE NOT LAID ON METRO TRACK UNLIKE OTHER TRACKS !!

 

You might have observed that stones are laid beside railway tracks but when it comes to metro tracks,there are no stones laid near the track.We will discuss the reason for this in this article.

Let us first discuss why stones are placed near the railway track.The crushed stones you see alongside railroad tracks are what is known as ballast. Track ballast is packed between the sleepers, in the areas below, and on the sides of railway tracks. A railway sleeper is a rectangular support that is usually kept perpendicular to the tracks. The ballast distributes the load of the sleepers (which in turn bear the load of the train on the track, held by clips) across the foundation, allows for ground movement, thermal expansion and weight variance, allows rain and snow to drain through the track, and prevent the growth of vegetation that would quickly take over the track.

 

Read:KNOW WHY POINTED STONES ARE PLACED ON RAILWAY TRACKS !!

When it comes to metro track,it uses ballastless track.Ballastless tracks have different designs to absorb the vibration.They have high initial costs but less maintenance costs. That is why their whole life cost is lower than ballasted tracks. 

 
Since the metro tracks are elevated, drainage and growth of vegetation aren't much of an issue, and the solid structure are designed to bear the wheel loads, and transmit them safely to the earth, there is no requirement of using ballast underneath the track.

There are safety & maintenance issues as well for using ballasts on the elevated sections, as they do pose the risk of flying off and hitting people using the space in the vicinity of the viaducts.
Another reason is that speed is very limited in metro as stations are very close ,that is why impact load is less (for which ballast is used).

Why Railways use ballasted track?

1.Ballasted track is good in the normal speed railway and fast speed railway.

2.Ballasted track requires low investment cost.

3. Ballasted track is usually easy to lay.

4.Ballasted track has good drainage performance.

5.Non-ballasted track cannot be laid in some area like clay deep cutting.

Nevertheless, whenever Rapid transit systems run on the ground, they use traditional methods of load distribution involving sleepers and track ballasts because they are much economic as compared to constructing reinforced concrete girders at places where the latter are not required. Such examples can also be found in Delhi Metro. At sections near Yamuna bank station on blue line, Delhi Metro runs on the ground and uses traditional track ballast.

KNOW WHY POINTED STONES ARE PLACED ON RAILWAY TRACKS !!

Traveling by train is an amazing experience in itself. You get an amazing view of nature. One more thing that you almost always see throughout your train-journey are those small stones lying alongside the track on which your train races?

Have you ever given any thought as to why there are almost always stones alongside a railway track? We will discuss the reason behind this in this article.

The crushed stones you see alongside railroad tracks are what is known as ballast. Track ballast is packed between the sleepers, in the areas below, and on the sides of railway tracks. A railway sleeper is a rectangular support that is usually kept perpendicular to the tracks. These are usually made of wood or pre-stressed concrete, although the latter is more widely used today. The function of railway sleepers is to hold the rails upright and properly spaced. In short, their purpose is to hold the sleeper ties in place, which in turn hold the rails in place.

The rail track is subjected to heat expansion and contraction, ground movement and vibration, precipitation build-up from rough weather, and plant growth from underneath. The ballast distributes the load of the sleepers (which in turn bear the load of the train on the track, held by clips) across the foundation, allows for ground movement, thermal expansion and weight variance, allows rain and snow to drain through the track, and prevent the growth of vegetation that would quickly take over the track.

WHY CRUSHED POINTED STONES ARE USED??

If you put smooth, round pebbles in the ballast, then they might roll or slide over each other when a train passes over the tracks; therefore, they would fail at their main job – providing solidarity to the tracks. Given that fact, you need stones of a specific type that won’t move around too much, except by kids chucking stones near the tracks, of course!

In order to guarantee that the stones stay in place, they use sharp and edged stones in the ballast.