Development and Performance Evaluation of Sustainable Prestressed Concrete Railway Sleeper with Steel Fibers: A Laboratory Investigation

Prestressed concrete sleepers (PCS) are an integral part of the railway track system which bears the loads exerted by the rails. To reduce the risk of damage during train derailments, and deterioration of sleepers caused by cracking under strong impact loads. To decrease the chances of these risks, the increase in demand for sustainable infrastructure has initiated research into eco-friendly alternatives in construction materials and methods. This study focuses on the development and evaluation of a sustainable PCS enhanced with steel fibers and silica fume. The experimental investigation involved the formulation of concrete mixture with ordinary Portland cement, silica fume as supplementary cementitious material, and steel fibers. The steel fibers were added to enhance the tensile strength and ductility properties of the sleeper. The specimens are subjected to impact and static bending tests. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the sustainable PCS with steel fibers in resisting high impact loads, increasing energy absorption, and maintaining structural stability under static bending conditions. Compared to conventional sleepers, the sleeper with silica fume and steel fibers exhibited enhanced crack resistance and improved load-bearing capacity.