A rail clamp comprising two clamp elements (30a, 30b) securable together in clamping arrangement about a railway rail, wherein at least one of the clamp elements (30a, 30b) can include sensor retaining means to hold a sensor to make measurements relating to the rail. A first of said two clamp elements (30b) has a clamp head to engage a fish plate (14b) or a web-side of a railway rail. A clamp foot (34b) engages the underside of a railway rail foot (13). A second of said two clamp elements (30a) having a clamp head to engage the opposite fish plate or web-side of a railway rail and a clamp foot (34a) to engage the underside of the clamp foot (34b) of the first clamp element (34b). The first and second clamp elements (30a, 30b) are secured together by a connector (35), optionally a bolt, to a railway rail.

A railway track (1) including at least two railway rails (2) and at least one measuring apparatus (3), disposed under at least one of the railway rails (2), for measuring vertical contact pressure, wherein the measuring apparatus (3) has at least one mat-shaped or planar carrying body (4) with a multiplicity of measuring sensors (5), disposed at a distance from one another, for measuring the vertical surface pressure at the respective positions of the respective measuring sensors (5).

A railway track (1) including at least two railway rails (2) and at least one measuring apparatus (3), disposed under at least one of the railway rails (2), for measuring vertical contact pressure, wherein the measuring apparatus (3) has at least one mat-shaped or planar carrying body (4) with a multiplicity of measuring sensors (5), disposed at a distance from one another, for measuring the vertical surface pressure at the respective positions of the respective measuring sensors (5).

Method for determining structural parameters of a railway track having a sensor array, includes measuring vertical and/or lateral irregularities of the rail with the sensor array along the rail, thereby providing signals corresponding to geometrical irregularities at different distance from the wheel-load. A model is provided describing the rail's deflection shape, which is dependent on structural parameters of the rail and on the loads on the rail. The model is stored in a processor where geometrical irregularities are compared under different load influence for generating a measured deflection shape. At least one theoretical rail deflection shape is generated using the model by varying structural parameters and the load in the model. At least one of theoretical deflection shapes is compared with the measured deflection shape for each point of the rail, and the structural parameters of that theoretical deflection shape which best matches the measured deflection shape are determined.

Method for determining structural parameters of a railway track having a sensor array, includes measuring vertical and/or lateral irregularities of the rail with the sensor array along the rail, thereby providing signals corresponding to geometrical irregularities at different distance from the wheel-load. A model is provided describing the rail's deflection shape, which is dependent on structural parameters of the rail and on the loads on the rail. The model is stored in a processor where geometrical irregularities are compared under different load influence for generating a measured deflection shape. At least one theoretical rail deflection shape is generated using the model by varying structural parameters and the load in the model. At least one of theoretical deflection shapes is compared with the measured deflection shape for each point of the rail, and the structural parameters of that theoretical deflection shape which best matches the measured deflection shape are determined.