Resilient Railways Using Energy-Absorbing Rubber Elements in Track Substructure

Indraratna, B; Ngo, T; Qi, Y; Hettiyahandi, S; Rujikiatkamjorn, C

Resilient Railways Using Energy-Absorbing Rubber Elements in Track Substructure

Indraratna, B

Ngo, T Qi, Y

Hettiyahandi, S Rujikiatkamjorn, C

Permalink

Publisher:: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: Geotechnical Special Publication, 2025, 2025-March, (GSP 367), pp. 374-382
Issue Date:: 2025-01-01

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Accepted versionAdobe PDF (1.46 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Indraratna, B https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9057-1514
dc.contributor.author	Ngo, T
dc.contributor.author	Qi, Y https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3486-2130
dc.contributor.author	Hettiyahandi, S
dc.contributor.author	Rujikiatkamjorn, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8625-2839
dc.date.accessioned	2025-05-27T00:15:58Z
dc.date.available	2025-05-27T00:15:58Z
dc.date.issued	2025-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Geotechnical Special Publication, 2025, 2025-March, (GSP 367), pp. 374-382
dc.identifier.issn	0895-0563
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/187534
dc.description.abstract	Facing the high demand for faster and heavier freight trains in Australia, researchers and practitioners are endeavouring to develop more innovative and resilient ballasted tracks. In recent years, many studies have been conducted by the research team from the Transport Research Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (TRC-UTS) to examine the feasibility of incorporating recycled rubber into rail tracks. This paper introduces two innovative applications using recycled rubber products, such as (1) adding energy-absorbing rubber geogrid made from recycled conveyor belts at the ballast-capping interface, and (2) using recycled tyre cells to reinforce the railway capping layer. Large-scale laboratory tests using track process simulation apparatus and field testing were conducted to examine the performance of rail tracks incorporating these innovative inclusions. The test results reveal that the incorporation of rubber geogrid and tyre cells could increase the lateral confinement while improving the energy-absorbing capacity of the rail tracks and mitigate the ballast breakage and settlement and lateral movement significantly, hence increasing the track stability. The research outcomes will facilitate a better understanding of the performance of ballast tracks incorporating these resilient waste tyre materials while promoting more economical and environmentally sustainable tracks for greater passenger comfort and increased safety.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
dc.relation.ispartof	Geotechnical Special Publication
dc.relation.ispartof	Geotechnical Frontiers 2025
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1061/9780784486009.038
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.classification	Geological & Geomatics Engineering
dc.title	Resilient Railways Using Energy-Absorbing Rubber Elements in Track Substructure
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.citation.volume	2025-March
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Transport Research Centre (TRC)
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2025-05-27T00:15:55Z
pubs.issue	GSP 367
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	2025-March
utslib.citation.issue	GSP 367

Abstract:

Facing the high demand for faster and heavier freight trains in Australia, researchers and practitioners are endeavouring to develop more innovative and resilient ballasted tracks. In recent years, many studies have been conducted by the research team from the Transport Research Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (TRC-UTS) to examine the feasibility of incorporating recycled rubber into rail tracks. This paper introduces two innovative applications using recycled rubber products, such as (1) adding energy-absorbing rubber geogrid made from recycled conveyor belts at the ballast-capping interface, and (2) using recycled tyre cells to reinforce the railway capping layer. Large-scale laboratory tests using track process simulation apparatus and field testing were conducted to examine the performance of rail tracks incorporating these innovative inclusions. The test results reveal that the incorporation of rubber geogrid and tyre cells could increase the lateral confinement while improving the energy-absorbing capacity of the rail tracks and mitigate the ballast breakage and settlement and lateral movement significantly, hence increasing the track stability. The research outcomes will facilitate a better understanding of the performance of ballast tracks incorporating these resilient waste tyre materials while promoting more economical and environmentally sustainable tracks for greater passenger comfort and increased safety.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/187534