DESCRIPTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track which, by means of a simple design, improves the efficacy of this type of screen located on the sides of railway tracks. The anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention is of application in the railway construction and transport industry, since it is a nexus between both industries.

Background of the Invention

The problem of birds colliding in high-speed railways has become a topic of growing interest in recent years since railway infrastructures, given the fact that they are linear, constitute a barrier for the passage of these birds.

The combination of the inherent barrier effect of railway infrastructures and the characteristic of the high speed creates a risk factor that aggravates consequences, especially in certain species, being a problem for both the rolling stock circulating on the track and the bird species suffering a drop in population in the area where the linear work is present.

This problem has conventionally been approached through several types of protection measures, according to the area of protection in which the infrastructure is located:

in excavation or embankment areas:

a) opaque screens 3-4 m in height are built;

b) levees or ditches filled with the materials from excavating are built;

c) marked enclosures are built.

in viaducts: opaque screens up to 2-3 m in height are built.

These known solutions in the state of the art have several negative effects, among which the following can be mentioned:

A large number of birds that have been hit are detected, especially in the case of species with a recognized environmental worth, which represents a higher environmental impact of high-speed lines in service without effective protection measures.

The cost of building the structure in viaducts increases with the use of opaque screens as a protection measure for the bird fauna in the mentioned viaducts because of the higher aerodynamic load due to the sail effect they produce.

If the birds are of large, when collisions occur they cause problems with the high speed rolling stock and railway operation.

Therefore, in view of the foregoing, it is desirable to find an alternative solution which does not suffer the problems caused by the barriers known in the state of the art, and the building of which does not represent a large increase in the cost of building the structure.

Description of the Invention

The object of the invention relates to an anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track comprising several posts aligned in two alignments on the two sides of the railway track, such that each post comprises a pointed conical end piece in its upper part, and three metallic equidistant helical cords extending in the post from the pointed conical end piece, along a post length section between 1 and 1.40 meters.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts are located in a staggered manner on the two sides of the railway track.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts are separated from one another by a distance between 1 and 3.50 meters.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the pointed conical end piece has a height between 40 cm and 60 centimeters, preferably 50 centimeters.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the metallic helical cords preferably made of steel have a thickness between 10 and 14 millimeters, preferably 12 millimeters, and are welded to the post.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts are circular section metallic tubes preferably made of galvanized steel, with an outer diameter between 100 and 140 millimeters, preferably 120 millimeters, a thickness between 2 and 3 millimeters, preferably 2.5 millimeters, and a height between 3.50 and 4.70 meters, preferably 4.10 meters.

In an embodiment of the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts are anchored to a structure support, which fixes them to the railway platform, there being two different embodiments of the mentioned structure support; one embodiment in which the structure support comprises several piles for anchoring several posts, where the piles project a maximum of 0.90 meters from the railway platform; another embodiment in which the structure support comprises a tie beam embedded in the railway platform.

In another embodiment of the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts are anchored directly to an engineered structure without requiring any specific foundation or bearing structure.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts comprise plates at their lower end, such that each post is attached to an element to be chosen from a pile, a tie beam and an engineered structure by means of rods.

In the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the piles are located on the outside of the communication conduit of the railway track.

The anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention comprises a electrical protection system of the posts, comprising a longitudinal underground cable located in a trench, a each side of the railway track connected to each post by means of a single-core cable, a connection terminal for attaching the single-core cable to each post, and at least one earthing rod.

Brief Description of the Drawings

To complement the description that will be provided below and for the purpose of helping to better understand the features of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to the present specification on the basis of which the innovations and advantages of the barrier object of the invention will be more readily understood.

Figure 1 depicts an elevational view of a side of a railway track with several posts, showing the piles for anchoring the posts to the ground.

Figure 2 shows a section-type view from the ballast shoulder of the end of a railway track identical to that of Figure 1.

Figure 3 depicts a detailed view of the top of a post of the barrier object of the invention.

Figure 4 depicts a section view of half a railway track with the electrical protection system of the posts.

Figure 5 shows an elevational view of a side of a railway track with a tie beam on several piles with the posts on the tie beam.

The reference numbers used in the drawings are:

1. posts,

2. piles,

3. pointed conical end piece, 4. equidistant helical cords,

5. ring or plate,

6. rod,

7. single-core aluminum cable,

8. connection terminal,

9. longitudinal underground cable,

10. trench,

1 1 . earthing rod, and

12. tie beam.

Detailed Description of the Invention

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention consists of two alignments of posts (1 ) on the two sides of the railway platform.

The railway platform, when referring to a ballast track, is made up of layers of materials, such that before the ballast, there is a sub-ballast layer, which separates the ballast from the ground of the platform, the sub-ballast being a layer that is usually continuous and serves to protect infrastructure from possible weathering. Furthermore, the railway platform has a communication conduit, located at the outermost edges of the structure, which conduit is conventionally located flush with the sub-ballast layer.

In the preferred embodiment of the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track, the posts (1 ) are separated from one another by a distance between 1 and 3.50 meters measured from axis to axis. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment the posts (1 ) of either side of the railway platform are placed in a staggered manner.

In the preferred embodiment of the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention, the posts (1 ) are metallic circular section tubes preferably made of galvanized steel of approximate dimensions of 120 millimeters in outer diameter, 2.5 millimeters in thickness and 4.10 meters in height.

For fixing the posts (1 ) to the railway platform, the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention comprises piles (2) serving as structural support for the posts (1 ). The piles (2) project a maximum height of 0.90 meters above the sub ballast layer and are located on the outside of the communication conduit of the railway platform.

The piles (2) in the preferred embodiment of the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention are reinforced concrete circular section piles with a diameter between 0.30 meters and 0.40 meters, preferably 0.35 meters, and with a length inserted into the ground between 2.00 and 2.60 m, preferably 2.30 m.

The posts (1 ) are fixed to the piles (2) by means of rings or plates (5) welded at their base which are secured to the pile (2), fixing rods (6), which are four in number in the preferred embodiment of the invention, by screws or welding.

If the screen object of the invention is used on a concrete structure, the posts (1 ) with their plates (5) are anchored directly on the concrete structure by making a prior perforation in the concrete structure where the rods (6) are introduced; epoxy resin is then injected.

To prevent the posts (1 ) from serving as a bird perch, the posts (1 ) comprise a pointed conical end piece (3) made of plastic material with a height between 40 and 60 centimeters, preferably 50 centimeters.

The length of pointed conical end piece (3) together with the length of the posts (1 ) and the length of the bearing structure (piles (2) or tie beam (12)) make the screen have a total height of each element of 5.50 meters above the sub-ballast layer.

Each post (1 ) of the anti-collision screen for birds on a railway track object of the invention has three metallic equidistant helical cords (4) preferably made of steel extending in an upper section of post (1 ) along a length between 1 and 1.40 meters, preferably 1.2 meters.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the helical cords (4) have a thickness of 12 millimeters and are welded to the post (1 ). The purpose of this structure of three equidistant helical cords (4) welded to the post (1 ) is to dissipate energy and minimize the aerodynamic effects that may contribute to the increase in vibration periods characteristic of both the helical cords (4) and the post (1 ).

The screen has an electrical protection system of the posts which consist of earthing each post (2) by means of a single-core aluminum or copper cable (7) and a connection terminal (8) in each post (2), such that the single-core cable (7) is connected to a longitudinal underground cable (9) located in a trench (10) on each side of the railway. This configuration assures the equipotential bonding of the protection system of the posts of the screen object of the invention. Furthermore, the protection system of the posts includes earthing rods (1 1 ) along the screen.