A Review on Current Materials, Their Failures, and Advancement in Railway Sleepers

The materials and technology used in the production of railway sleepers have advanced from conventional wooden sleepers to composite sleepers. The strength, service life, and durability of sleepers are always the major concern when placed on the tracks. Though many measures were being taken, the service life and durability are still the limitations with the sleepers. This paper presents a comprehensive review of types of railway sleepers used, their advantages, limitations, and latest technologies adopted during production. It is learnt that the conventional sleepers used to suffer from problems like fungal decay, rail-seat abrasion, and high degree of wear and tear which increase their operational and maintenance cost. The alternative materials and technologies used in the manufacture of railway sleepers across the world to improve its durability was reviewed critically. The laboratory and field studies reveal that the use of fibers, mineral admixture, pre-stressing technologies, and composite materials show better prospects in the design life and serviceability. Fly-ash-based sleepers have turned out to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional sleepers. Composite sleepers with glass fiber polymers used in longitudinal and transverse directions have improved the flexural and shear carrying capacities of the sleepers. Basalt polymers fibers and basalt fibers as pre-stressing material can be viewed as a cost-effective alternative, to improve the durability of concrete sleepers.