Implementing slab track monoblock sleeper system for Indonesian urban metro railway project based on life cycle cost under uncertainty

Abstract

The development of Indonesian Urban Metro Railway Project has been accelerated in the last decade, concerning on a massive infrastructure investment across the regions. The project requires a smart, sustainable, and reliable system of railway slab track to be adopted considering its life cycle cost and the challenging triple constraints (cost, quality, and time). In general, a slab track system is suitable for the required criteria. Despite the complexity for implementing this system, its ability to withstand a variety of Indonesian’s extreme weather (e.g. heavy rain leads to flooding) and geohazards are likely to be considered in comparison with the conventional ballasted track. Moreover, a maintenance aspect is also entailed in the decision-making process. There are two potential types of this system to be utilised; the difference is devoted to the placement of the anti-vibration system which can be mounted in underneath pc sleepers (type 1) or in rail fastening systems (type 2). However, the costs which are mainly allocated to installation and maintenance can be affected by performance uncertainty associated with these systems. Hence, this paper proposes an approach that can be used to address uncertainty and assist decision-makers for selecting and implementing the proper slab system,