Life cycle cost analysis of alternative railway track support material: A case study of the Sydney harbour bridge

Abstract

Railway operational costs are overburdened with excessive maintenance expenses for track support components. The expenses equate to 25–35% of the total operational costs per annum for Australian railway networks. This paper addresses the need for assessing the life cycle costs (LCC) of implementing alternative railway transom materials, which offer better maintenance, higher design life and a reduction in the number of replacement transoms as a result of failure compared to timber. The Sydney Harbour Bridge (SHB) was selected as a case study to undertake LCCs using three alternative materials for the sleepers of its railway tracks; namely, precast conventional composite concrete-steel panel, precast prestressed composite concrete-steel panel and fibre composite panel. The LCC analysis addressed the manufacturing, installation, ongoing maintenance and end of life phases over a 100 years’ life span for two main installation methods. It was concluded that the fibre composite offered a faster and more efficient installation time making it the most financially viable option. Hence, this research introduces this material to the Australian railway industry, which is cost-effective and sustainable compared to traditional material that is widely used in railway bridges.