Overview
A Performance-Qualified, Circular Solution for Modern Railways
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Wood sleeper use is restricted, and production disruption is expected.
Creosote oil for wood sleeper preservation is subject to a use ban.
Incineration and landfilling of waste plastics/by-products increase pollution.
Recyclable Composite Sleeper is a performance-qualified alternative to wood sleepers.
This sleeper enables a circular, carbon-neutral track supply solutions.
Core Competencies
Purpose
Replace banned wood sleepers with a recyclable composite sleeper.
Composite Material Design
Composite Material Design
Recycled plastic + steel slag (industrial by-product) fusion composite
Composition for railway sleeper using waste plastic and steel slag
Manufacturing Technology
Manufacturing Technology
Sleeper manufacturing technology for composite sleepers
Field applicability evaluated for domestic railway environments
Mechanical Performance
Mechanical Performance
Excellent bending performance
Excellent compression performance
High screw spike pull-out force
Circular Recyclability
Circular Recyclability
100% recycling of plastic sleepers recovered after use
Expected Benefits
Reduced maintenance costs via crack resistance and high durability.
50-year design life for plastic-based railway sleepers.
1 km track: ~1,670 sleepers replaced by 100 t plastic + 40 t slag.
Expanding demand for recycling plastics and industrial by-products.
Certifications
Lab verification: bending, fatigue, temperature stability.
Screw spike pull-out: ISO 12856, AREMA Chapter 30.
Field demonstration: Daejeon Transportation Corporation.
Field demonstration: POSCO.
Field demonstration: Busan Transportation Corporation.
TRL 9
Technology development completed; ready for commercialization.
Contact
Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI)
Infrastructure Convergence Research Department
Dr. JIhwan Kim
E-mail: jihwan@krri.re.kr
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