Abstract
A novel concept of polymer railway sleeper is proposed in this study that has the potential to meet static performance requirements within the cost of hardwood timber. The existing challenges of composite sleepers, such as low performance or high cost, can be overcome using this innovative concept. Such a proclamation is proven through limit state design criteria and a series of experimentations. Results show that polyurethane foam as an infill material can provide sufficient strength and stiffness properties to the sleeper, but the inadequate screw holding capacity could be a problem. This limitation, however, can be overcome using a particulate filled resin system. The findings of this study will help the railway industry to develop a timber replacement sleeper.
Highlights
The global railway industry is looking for an alternative material railway sleeper that can replace traditional timber sleeper which is suffering from premature deterioration [1,2]
When tubes were filled with ordinary portland cement (OPC) and particulate filled resin (PFR), the pouring was done in separate days for each mix
This study proposed a new concept for manufacturing fibre reinforced polymer railway sleeper
Summary
The global railway industry is looking for an alternative material railway sleeper that can replace traditional timber sleeper which is suffering from premature deterioration [1,2] To take this as an opportunity, a number of research institutions and railway sleeper manufacturing companies in different parts of the world are developing innovative polymer-based technologies. These alternative sleepers are mainly developed from recycled plastics and fibre reinforced synthetic foam materials. Recycled plastic sleepers are made of waste tyres, plastic bottles and other similar materials which is highly beneficial from the environmental viewpoint [3] This type of sleeper can be manufactured within the cost of hardwood timber due to the use of high volume of waste materials. An alternative polymer-based material that meets both cost and performance criteria for sleeper is inevitable
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