Expert answer:Sleepere Railway Rewrite Assignment
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Introduction
Composite material Railway sleeper is the product that our company ‘Ecolines’ sells worldwide.
Sleeper is one of the most important components of a railway infrastructure it is used to clamp the
rail to avoid any type of slippage and to maintain the alignment and shape of the tracks. It is also
used to hold the rail in proper levels at turnouts and crossovers. It is placed over layers of ballasts
in order to transmit the load through rail and it holds rail above which the train moves, there are
different types of sleepers present initially wooden sleepers were used all over the world. With the
advancement in technologies concrete sleepers took over wooden sleepers at some places and steel
sleepers were also introduced at some places like bridges with heavy traffic loads and less
maintenance requirements. But with the increasing population and environmental concerns
composite sleepers were introduced. (Sahay, A. Phogat, S. 2015)
Composite is the mixture of two or more than two items or materials. Composite also refers to the
materials that are completely recyclable and provide high service life, reduction in wastes and
deforestation. Some of the main composite sleepers are obtained from mixture of shredded plastics,
rubbers from waste tires, chemical additives, and fiber as reinforcement, fillers (CaCO3) and other
several waste materials. (Sahay, A. Phogat, S. 2015)
Some of the key important functions of composite railway sleepers are:
1. Composite sleepers do not get deformed.
2. They are resistant to tears and avoid end gaps.
3. They are fire resistant and are suitable for track circuited areas.
4. They are free of voids and resistant to insects.
5. They are light weight and provide less electrical conductivity.
6. Sound and vibrations are well absorbed by them. (Sahay, A. Phogat, S. 2015)
Ecolines is an Australian based company and it was founded in 1980. Since that time it has grown
to be the Australia’s biggest supplier of composite sleepers and worlds leader in the manufacturing
of the composite railway sleepers. Our company has an experience of more than 30 years in the
field of railway sleepers and we meet with our client’s demands and orders with exceptional
engineering, safety and quality. In the time period of 30 years Ecolines has produced over 18
million railway composite sleepers and has extended its branches in Australia and many other
countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Germany and India. We have adopted own working method
and quality assurance standards linked with ISO 9001. Some of our factories are custom built
which help in the client’s specific demand of the project and complexity of the project and location.
Not only Ecolines specializes in Composite sleepers but also provides with flexible, cost effective,
client oriented sleeper design and stock and end to end logistics supply. (Railway Technology,
2016)
This report covers all the details of composite railway sleepers which include the description of
the sleepers, technical specifications, and design steps involved in the production of composite
sleepers, operation and management aspects of composite sleepers, cost and conditions of place to
install and use composite sleepers. This helps in understanding the safety measures involved in the
railway industry, the design process, usage of several software, principles of maintenance and
operations, understanding different conditions of standards and railway and track design.
Technical Details
Below are the technical properties and information about the Composite Railway sleeper created
by our company Ecolines.
Product Description:
The description of the product our company sells and provides to railway departments is a
composite material railway sleeper. It is an alternative of wood, concrete and steel sleepers and
provides better service in application than them. It is not only strong and cost effective but also
reflects upon the following properties:
1. Performance:
➢ More durable and long lasting
➢ Resistant to moisture and decay
➢ Eliminates and lessens noise and vibrations
2. Track Tested:
➢ Individually lab tested
➢ According to the standards
➢ Can withstand two billion gross tons of traffic
➢ Zero failures
3. Lessens future risks:
➢ Waste disposal cost responsibilities
➢ Made of recycled plastic
➢ Eliminates environmental hazards
4. Asset Management:
➢ Increased adaptability
➢ Reduced and easy maintenance
➢ Easy replacement
➢ Longer lasting
➢ Enhanced operational flexibility
5. Sustainability:
➢ Reduces CO2 impacts
➢ Non – leaching
➢ Supports waste management
➢ Reduces disposal costs
➢ Sustainable Earning
6. Quality and Stability:
➢ No shortage on raw materials
➢ Consistency assured
➢ Quality engineering process
(Ecotrax, 2015)
Design Steps:
Collection of Waste plastic: The first step in order to get composite sleeper is to collect recyclable
plastic waste from different industrial and waste sectors. Each sleeper requires about 75 kg of
plastic which is obtained from 1200 plastic bottles. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Inspection of the waste: The recycled plastic is visually inspected, coded and tagged according
to the type of waste labeled by the inspectors present; these quality inspectors verify and properly
identify the waste. After that the bundles of waste are weighed and recorded and the waste is staged
for processing. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Shredding of the plastic waste: Since plastic is versatile material therefore it ranges from tough
polymer structures to extra firm material, shredder is machine in which different knives, rotors and
cutting technologies are present. It cuts and reduces the size of the plastic waste when the bundles
of wastes are placed in it. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Eddy Current Separator: Eddy current separator is a machine that uses a powerful magnetic
field to separate ferrous and non – ferrous materials from the waste. This machine uses eddy
currents in its application. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Granulation: In this step a granulator is used which is a machine for size reduction, granulators
have the ability to break down plastic products such as plastic bottles, crates and drums into simpler
and uniform form. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Molding: Railway sleepers are made out of moulds which hold up to 10 sleepers per mould. It
should be noticed that these moulds are cleaned and oiled thoroughly so that the sleepers come off
the moulds easily and the oiling also helps to keep the surface smooth of the sleeper. (Mega
Projects, 2016)
Heating: After placing the matter in the moulds the moulds are placed in the heating kilns with
constant steam pressure along with controlled temperature and humidity. A high pressure of steam
and cold water is also sprayed upon the moulds and after several hours the moulds are overturned.
(Mega Projects, 2016)
Separation of sleepers: After the moulds come out of the kiln chambers, they are placed upon a
conveyor system and here they are cut into individual units with the help of a high speed rotating
blade moving back and forth and separating the sleepers. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Storage and identification: Now these sleepers are taken to the storage area and here they are
laser engraved with identification codes and barcodes. Dimple patterns are applied in the three
sides of the sleepers. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Installation: After that all these sleepers undergo a pressure test to determine whether they will
be able to survive the outside conditions of the loads. If a sleeper goes through this test then they
are taken to the final step and installed beneath the railway line. (Mega Projects, 2016)
Technical specification:
The technical specification of the railway sleeper provide by our company includes:
Shape: Rectangular
Height and Width: 130 mm (H) and 254 mm (W)
Length: Ranges between 2.4 m – 2.75 m
Weight: Ranges between 54 – 69 kg
Specific Gravity: Ranges between 0.85 – 0.9
Density: Ranges between 849 – 897 kg/m3
Thermal Expansion: 0.000074 cm/cm/C
Compressive Strength: 20.6 MPa
Modulus of elasticity (Flexural): 1,724 MPa
Shear Strength: 10.3 MPa
Bending Strength: 20.6 MPa
Speed: Ranges between 250 – 300 km/hr.
(SICUT, 2016)
Figure 1 shows composite sleeper
Using and Installing Method:
The steps used in order to install railway sleepers are:
1. Initially the worksite where the sleepers are to be installed or replaced is selected.
2. The hazards and dangers are accessed on the site and precautionary measures are applied.
3. It is selected weather the sleepers are to be installed newly or being replaced or repaired.
4. Apparatus and tools are selected in accordance with the workplace environment.
5. After that track gauge measurements are recorded in agreement to the selected site.
(Australian Government, 2015)
6. Sleepers are heavy and manual handling of sleepers is difficult and may damage the
sleeper as well.
7. Therefore mechanical relaying system is implemented in order to proceed with the
placement of sleepers.
8.
In mechanical relaying system, two portal cranes are used and relaying is done using
prefabricated panels.
9. Before placing any sleeper the ballast layer below is balanced and leveled up to determined
point.
10. The portal cable lifts up the sleeper and places upon the ballast bed.
11. The sleepers should be placed with uniform spacing, 60 or 65 cm spacing should be
provided between the sleepers.
12. The sleeper panels are then connected with fish plates, fittings and fastenings. (Railway
Engineering, 2007)
Machinery needed to implement:
The machinery required during the preparation of Sleepers:
➢ Shredder
➢ Granulator
➢ Eddy Current apparatus
➢ Conveyor Belt for cutting
➢ Pressure Test apparatus
The machinery used during the installation of the sleepers:
➢ Portal Cranes
➢ Auxiliary wire cables
➢ Prefabricated Panel
Operation and Maintenance aspects:
Since the composite railway sleeper is environmentally friendly it does not require much
maintenance to be done. Unlike wooden sleepers it does not get rot and is completely water
resistant. It is impermeable to wood eating insects, it absorbs very less water and thus it is very
durable and easy to maintain. The maintenance of composite sleeper is very simple since it is light
in weight. It has excellent vibration absorption characteristics. If a sleeper gets damaged the screws
can be easily unfastened and can be replaced with the new sleeper easily. Some of the maintenance
factors are as follows:
Debris and dirt: early steps should be taken in order to clean the dirt and reduce the collection of
debris from the surface of the sleeper. Pressure water jet or brooms can be used to wipe away the
dirt. (Composite Lumber, 2016)
Mold and Mildew: mold and mildew in other words is rotting and decaying process, especially
the sleepers located in hot regions face this problem, since our company provides composite
sleepers, they do not rot and the decaying growth is also very less. If in case mold and mildew is
present on the sleeper commercial cleaning should be done to prevent future growth. (Composite
Lumber, 2016)
Rust, oil and grease stains: rust stains can be appeared on the surface of sleepers as a result of
contact of the metallic surface with the sleeper like rail. Whereas the stains of oil and greases
should also be immediately removed, therefore Oxalic or phosphoric acid can be used to lighten
up or removal of these stains. If slight stains still appear on the surface a short period of normal
weathering will lessen. (Composite Lumber, 2016)
Product Illustration:
Below is a labeled diagram of the composite Sleeper that our company provides:
Figure 2 shows labeled diagram of Sleeper
(Patent Docs, 2016)
Cost of the product:
Discussing about the cost we must consider the following factors:
•
Durability of the composite Sleeper (years): 40 – 50 years
•
Replacement practice: Easy
•
Handling the sleepers: Easy
•
Weight of the sleeper: 54 – 69 kg
•
Cost of the sleeper with fittings: 280 $
•
Life Cycle cost (year): 6 $
Conditions and place of using:
A sleeper is placed over a surface of ballast, sub ballast and sub grade. The ballast is a layer of
broken small stones, gravel and several other granular materials placed below and around sleepers
in order to distribute load from the sleeper to the foundation along with drainage facility,
longitudinal and lateral stability of the track. It also helps in holding the sleeper firmly while the
train passes. A sub grade is a layer of naturally occurring soil which is prepared in order to serve
the ballasts layer along with sleepers and rail. It helps in providing a smooth and leveled bed for
laying the track. This subgrade layer nears the loads which are transmitted from the ballast layer
through the moving load. This subgrade layer provides stability to the track. (Railway Engineering,
2007)
While some of the precautions that should be adopted while installing a sleeper are:
1. The sleepers should not be laid near ash pits and other places where ash is present or
dropped regularly.
2. The sleepers should not be installed in uncompact and ballast less yard lines.
3. The curves which exceeds 500 m radius in the rail track are not suitable for the sleepers to
be laid.
4. Sleepers should be placed at such places where corrosions and rotting occurs massively.
(Railway Engineering, 2007)
Conclusion
By the end of this report it is concluded that composite railway sleepers are completely made up
of recycled materials and are 100% recyclable after the production. They cause no effects on the
environment and promote green energy, sustainability and no disposal difficulties. In any country
or city plastic is the main source of solid waste and it can be beneficially utilized in the form of
railway sleeper, by adapting plastic as a railway sleeper the land pollution can also be reduced
because they release less amount of energy and produce insignificant greenhouse gases. By using
composite sleepers and not using timber sleepers the forest can be saved and deforestation is also
reduced. The results and performance of composite sleeper makes it a better alternative to timber
sleeper.
One of the other advantage of composite sleeper is that they are light weight but still provide high
strength and durability, they have a longer service life as compared to concrete sleepers and easy
maintenance. The installation is also very simple which cuts the labor charges.
It is believed that the composite sleepers can take over traditional sleepers and it can be seen from
the table below:
Table 1 shows countries using Composite Sleepers
The above table shows that developed countries like USA, Germany, Japan and UK are using and
installing different composite sleepers due to the vast advantages and high strength and tensile
properties of composite sleepers.
TASK 2
Introduction:
The Sultanate of Oman (Oman) borders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the west; the
Republic of Yemen in the south; the Strait of Hormuz in the north and the Arabian Sea in the east. The
capital of the country, Muscat, is located in the north of the country. In 2015, Oman had a population of
4.4 million (56% Omani, 44% expatriate) and GDP of $70 billion. With its per capita GDP of about $16,000,
Oman is considered a high income country. However, the country is mainly depending on oil exports as
one third of the GDP and 80% of the public finances are derived from petroleum related products. In 2015,
Oman produced about 981,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Due to recent drop in world oil prices, Oman
operated at a budget deficit of OMR 4.6 billion (about $12 billion) in 2015 despite the significant level of
oil production.
Oil and gas account for almost 60% of Oman’s exports. Imports largely comprise mechanical and transport
equipment and base metals. Although Oman is blessed with significant mineral reserves that could
generate enormous export revenue, mineral exports accounted for only 4% of the total exports in 2015.
In order to reduce its dependence on oil, Oman plans to diversify its economy from exportation of crude
oil to other mineral exports, manufacturing, logistic service arrangement, warehousing, fisheries, tourism
as well as value added industry in the oil and gas sector such as downstream refinery, petroleum storage,
and petrochemical plants. With three deep water ports and a favorable position on the Indian Ocean Rim
outside of the Arabian Gulf, Oman is strategically positioned to export its natural resources, products and
services to the Middle-east, northern Africa, and South Asia. Oman realizes its enormous potential
through strengthening its logistics services and transforming the country to a global strategic logistics hub.
In line with this, the Government of Oman (the Government) has planned to increase the production and
export of construction materials and minerals such as dolomite, gypsum, and marble and prioritize the
concurrent development of mineral connection railway line and the commercial terminal at Duqm Port
so as to capture full benefits from such diversification. The Government is also committed to leverage
Oman’s strategic location to boost its role as a regional logistics hub through investments in large
infrastructure projects such as the national railway network, inland and coastal logistics centers, and free
trade zones.
Oman Rail Network:
In 2015, Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) produced the Sultanate of Oman
Logistics Strategy (SOLS) as part of the national economic diversification strategy. The strategy identified
that logistics could significantly enable the economy to diversify away from its dependence on oil and gas.
SOLS aims to increase logistics contribution to Oman’s GDP from 5% in 2015 to 12% by 2040. In order to
strengthen Oman’s logistics offering and connect the country to the GCC rail network, the Government
had set up a wholly owned Oman Rail Company S.A.O.C. in 2014. It is a company incorporated under the
laws of Oman, not a government department, and was tasked with developing an overall rail network 2
(about 2,135 km) in the country, which is to be completed through two phases. Phase 1 will connect
Oman’s three deep seaports with the GCC railway network as well as with the inland mineral resources,
and Phase 2 will connect various major cities of Oman. The Oman railway network has been divided into
nine Segments. Segments 1- 4 are planned to be constructed under Phase 1 and Segments 5 to 9 under
Phase 2.
Railway will transform Oman:
– Connect the three deep water ports to the Middle East
– Provides new opportunities for Oman’s mineral resources
– Stimulating long term growth for Oman, GCC and Middle East
Oman economy:
A flourishing economy, rich in natural resources with significant growth potential Oman enjoys one of the
fastest growing economies in the world. Over the last 5 years, GDP growth has averaged over 9% p.a.,
predominantly driven by an increase in oil & gas production, prudent investments in economic
diversification (in particular in the tourism, agriculture and logistics sectors), and growing competitiveness
of Omani exports.
Far from resting on its laurels, Oman is determined to maintain the economic growth momentum. Despite
the recent decline in oil price, Oman has challenged itself to achieve double digit growth annually over
the upcoming five years. The key building blocks of this growth include:
• Continued investments into economic diversification
• Further development of international trade
• Sustainable development of Oman’s natural resources
1. Investment into economic diversification:
As mapped out in the Sultanate’s longterm country strategy, Oman will continue to
disproportionately invest in five core industries: logistics, tourism, agriculture, mining and
industrial. All these sectors have been i …
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