Study confirms that sleeper pads reduce life cycle costs

Rising traffic levels and faster trains are placing an increasingly heavy burden on tracks and points, as reflected in significant signs of deterioration and higher track maintenance spending. The study by the Graz University of Technology, entitled Wirtschaftlicher Nutzen von Schwellenbesohlungen (Economic benefits of sleeper padding) or WINS, compared the behaviour of tracks fitted with sleeper pads and those without. It delivers scientific proof that the installation of pads, such as Getzner’s SLB 3007G and SLS 1308G models, significantly reduce signs of deterioration. Sleeper pads provide protection for the ballast – the critical element in ballasted track construction. The researchers reached this conclusion with the help of data models and long-term analysis of the Austrian Federal Railways’ entire track network.

Installing sleeper pads lead to a reduction in track closures of around 50 percent, while also extending the service life of the tracks by 25 percent. Padding combines the benefits of wooden sleepers with the advantages of the conventional prestressed concrete variety. It halves the rate of deterioration of the rails by preserving the ballast more effectively, as well as at least doubling tamping intervals – a major factor behind the Austrian Federal Railways’ increased use of sleeper pads since 1997. “On the whole we can say that sleeper pads are a technically and financially effective method of cutting total superstructure costs,” concludes Prof. Veit.

Some 980,000 padded sleepers and 350 point sections featuring Getzner technology are currently in use around the world. Getzner materials also help to significantly reduce track and ballast settling.