For official use only

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

MANUAL OF INSTRUCTIONS
FOR
C.C. CUBE & RAIL CLUSTER METHOD

Report No. GE-Misc.-1

JULY-2005

Geotechnical Engineering Directorate

RESEARCH DESIGNS & STANDARDS ORGANISATION
LUCKNOW-226011
 PREFACE

This “Manual of Instructions” has been prepared based on RDSO special

report no. GE-R-67 titled as “Formation Rehabilitation by Blanketing using
C.C.Crib/Cube & Rail cluster method” which was submitted to Railway Board in
May-2005. Thereafter, vide letter no. 2002/CE-II/MB/5 dated 21.2.2005, Railway
Board had instructed RDSO to issue a manual of instructions on this method after
taking into account suggestions of CTE’s of C.R., E.Co.R. and S.E.R. The draft of
“Manual of Instructions” as prepared by RDSO was circulated to committee
members in the second week of June 2005 and subsequently, finalized by
committee in the meeting held at S.E.R HQ, Garden Reach, Kolkata on 14.7.2005.

(Nand Kishore)
Executive Director/GE
 MANUAL OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR C.C. CUBE METHOD

1. The ‘CC Crib & Rail Cluster method’ of formation rehabilitation after
modifications and improvements shall be known as ‘CC Cube method’.

2. Formation rehabilitation work under running traffic with CC Cube method should
be carried out in accordance with instructions laid down below.

3. Prior to execution of work with this method, preparatory works as mentioned

below should invariably be carried out.

3.1 Following tools and accessories should be arranged:

3.1.1 CC Cubes: Minimum 8 CC Cubes are required for starting work at one site. For
obtaining CC Cubes, standard CC Crib should be cut into three parts and outer
one-third part at either end having star stiffeners should be retained as CC Cube
and middle part should be discarded.

2’
6’

2’

STANDARD C.C. CRIB OF SIZE 2’ x 2’x 6’

2’

2’
2’

C.C. CUBE OF SIZE 2’ x 2’ x 2’

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 The outer one third part thus obtained, hereafter referred to as CC Cube, should
be covered with 5 mm thick steel plates on all faces by welding. Handles should
be provided on any two opposite sides at convenient location for affording ease in
lifting and moving the CC Cubes from one location to other.

5 mm thick
steel plate

HANDLES

C.C. CUBE COVERED WITH

STEEL PLATES AND FITTED WITH HANDLES

3.1.1 Rail Cluster: Minimum two 12 m long clusters made up of 3 rails of 90 R/52
Kg are required for starting work at one site. Rail cluster should be made by
joining rails with the help of 25 mm diameter bolts at spacing of 1 m c/c. An U-
hook should be provided in web of middle rail at both ends to facilitate tying of
wire rope for pulling the rail cluster with the help of turfer.

Rails of 90 R/52 kg
OR52 kg

25 mm dia bolt @ 1 m
c/c

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF RAIL CLUSTER

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 U-hook

Photograph showing arrangement of U-hook

3.1.2 Turfer: Two turfers of 5 ton capacity for pulling the rail clusters should be
arranged.

Turfer

Photograph showing turfer for pulling rail cluster

3.1.3 Track Jack: Minimum 4 track jacks of 15 ton capacity are required for lifting the
track.

3.1.4 Wooden Packing: Sufficient number of wooden packing of released wooden

sleepers should be arranged for supporting the rail cluster.

3.1.5 MS Plates: Minimum 6 number of 5 mm thick steel plates of suitable size with
handles on top to retain formation soil, blanket material and ballast from sides.

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3.1.7 Vibratory Plate Compactors: Sufficient numbers of vibratory plate
compactors/upright rammers should be arranged. Details of some of these plate
compactors/ rammers are given in Annexure – I.

3.2 Depending on the length of stretch where rehabilitation work is to be carried out
and number of sites to be opened at a time, planning for speed restriction should
be done well in advance.

3.3 Arrangements for material and labour should be tied up prior to commencement
of work at site. To the extent possible, blanket material should be stacked at site
and minimum 80-100 labour should be available before taking up the work at a
particular location.

3.4 Adequate arrangement of water for sprinkling on the blanket so as to bring

moisture content near OMC during compaction should also be made.

4.0 Step by step procedure for execution of rehabilitation work with this method
shall be as follows:

4.1 Speed restriction of 20 kmph at work site should be imposed.

4.2 Ballast from cess and crib portion should be removed as far as possible without
disturbing the ballast under the rail seat.

4.3 Traffic block of about 2 hour duration should be arranged and rail clusters should
be inserted from sides of sleeper & placed centrally just under each rail seat.
During this operation, jacks may be utilized for lifting the track for facilitating
insertion of rail clusters, if need be. The rail cluster may be supported
intermittently on wooden packing.

Three rail clusters

Insertion of rail clusters from side of sleepers

4.4 Firstly, a 900 mm wide and 900 mm deep trench of 5.5 m length across the track
below sleeper bottom should be excavated. Three steel plates-one in the middle
portion in between the rails and remaining two on other sides are to be used on
the non-excavated face of formation to retain the ballast as well as to support the
vertical face of formation to prevent its caving in.

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 Rail cluster

Trench

Trench
Excavation of trenches across the track
4.5 CC cubes should be lowered from sides of sleeper in the trench and placed
centrally under rail seat and rail clusters should be supported on CC cubes with
the help of full length wooden sleeper put across the track over the CC Cubes.
Rubber pads of adequate size may be provided in-between the rail cluster and
wooden sleeper.

4.6 In a similar fashion, other three trenches across the track @ 2.5 to 3 m c/c should
be excavated one at a time and CC Cubes inserted in each trench prior to digging
the next trench. By the side of last CC Cube, three steel plates-one in the middle
portion in between the rails and remaining two on other sides are to be used on
the non-excavated face of formation as described above.

CC cubes
Wooden sleeper

Lowering of CC cubes in trenches

Trenches

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 The supporting arrangement under track provided by rail clusters, wooden
packing and CC cubes shall look like as follows:

Cross-section of supporting arrangements

4.7 The formation in between the trenches is to be excavated up to bottom level of

CC Cubes. Working space for excavation may be made by loosening and
bringing two adjacent sleepers close to each other.

Existing soil/caked ballast

Excavation of existing formation/caked ballast between CC cubes

4.8 The blanket material sprinkled with water is to be filled in the excavated space in
30 cm to 60 cm layer depending on the type of vibratory plate compactor/ upright
rammer, moisture content is brought near OMC and compacted to specified
degree of compaction before putting the next layer.

Blanket material

Filling of blanket material between CC cubes

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4.9 The above operation should be repeated for all the excavated portions in between
the CC Cube. Thereafter, sleepers are to be readjusted to specified spacing, then,
track is to be lifted to the required extent with the help of track jacks and the rail
clusters are pulled by turfer at the leading end in phases i.e., from first location
of CC Cube to the second location of CC Cube in the first phase and from second
location of CC Cube to the third location of CC Cube in the second phase and so
on till the trailing end of the rail cluster comes over the last CC Cube. After first
phase, first pair of CC Cube is taken out from the sides gradually in stages and
the space created due to pulling out of CC Cubes is filled up with blanket
material and ballast is to be put under each rail seat and packed before pulling
the cluster for the next phase. This operation is to be repeated in each phase.
After pulling of rail cluster in each successive phase, rail cluster may be
temporary supported on wooden blocks for ensuring safety. After pulling
operation is over, portion of the track where rehabilitation work is to be taken up
in the next is supported on rail clusters with help of wooden blocks.

Pulling of rail cluster, cubes and blanketing

4.10 Ballast in the crib & shoulder portion should be recouped and packed.

4.11 Portion of formation beyond 5.5 meter on either side of track may be cut upto
required depth to make way for provision of blanket in the full width of
formation and duly compacted blanket provided.

4.12 For carrying out further work, the operations as mentioned above may be
repeated.

5.0 During execution of work

5.1 A close vigil should be maintained during and after passage of train to monitor
stability of supports. Track may be supported at additional points if conditions so
warrant.

5.2 Track parameters should be recorded during progress of the work and track is to
be attended as and when required.

5.3 Track protection and safety is to be ensured at all times as per the provisions
given in P. Way Manual.

5.4 A railway watchman is required to be provided round the clock.

5.5 Blanket material to be used should conform to RDSO specifications.

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5.6 It should be ensured that lifting of track is carried as per instructions in para 233
of ‘Indian Railways Permanent Way Manual’.

5.7 Proper cross slope of 1 in 30 on top of formation should be ensured.

5.8 It should be ensured that trained supervisors well conversant with safety rules and
with the method are deputed for site supervision.

6.0 This method may not be used in cuttings and high banks or otherwise where there
is limitation of space for storage of blanket material, movement of labour and
disposal of excavated soil.

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 Annexure – I

On the basis of market survey, it was found that there a number of companies which are
manufacturing vibratory plate compactors with small plate sizes which can easily be
inserted in between the two adjacent PRC sleepers and compact the blanket material.
Details of few of these models are given below:

S. Name (Make) Model No Weight Plate Size Compacting

No (kg) (mm x mm) thickness
(mm)
1. Plate Compactor PRO-40 52 498X330 -
(Fuji)
2 Tamping rammer, FR-75 72 330X280 -
(Fuji)
3 Vibratory tamper BT60/4 & 62&68 350X735 550 & 650
(BOMAG) BT65/4
4 Vibratory plate BP8/34 54 545 x 340 -
5 Vibratory Plate GX160K1 90 480 x 585 300
compactor
(Ingersoll-Rand)
6 Upright rammer GX120AR 71 270 x 330 530 mm
(Ingersoll-Rand)
7 Vibratory Plate CPT140B 80 490 x 440 -
compactor
( L & T)
8 Vibratory Plate MARK - 730 x 570 254
compactor VC-20
(Continental)
9. Vibratory plate V-4-N-70 63 kg 400 X 400 -
compactor (L & T)

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The “Manual of Instructions” has been prepared by Shri A. K. Singh, Director/GE

under guidance of Shri Nand Kishore, Executive Director/GE with assistance of Shri S.K
Awasthi, ARE/GE and Shri S.K. Ojha, SRE/GE.

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