Journal
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES FOR CONSTRUCTION
Volume 22, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS
DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000833
Keywords
Composite railway sleepers; Optimal shape; Sandwich panels; Epoxy polymer; Finite-element analysis; Performance of sleeper; Installation
Funding
- Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia
- Australian Government
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This paper introduces an innovative composite railway sleeper with an optimal material usage for a narrow-gauge railway track under static loading condition. The composite sleeper is designed using sandwich panels that were bonded and coated with epoxy polymer matrix. The sleeper's optimized shape was obtained using topology optimization. The vertical deflection and sleeper-ballast contact pressure of the optimized sleeper were analyzed by finite-element simulation and compared with a traditional timber sleeper. Prototype sleepers were then manufactured and their performance was evaluated experimentally. Results showed that the optimal sleeper shape only needs 50% volume of materials required for a standard rectangular timber sleeper. The performance of the optimal sleeper satisfactorily met the Australian standard requirements and was very similar to a timber sleeper indicating the high potential of this sleeper technology to replace the existing timber sleepers. This new sleeper is currently being tested in the Queensland Rail network as part of their sleeper maintenance program.
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