gunther koller

FFU synthetic sleeper

SEKISUI Chemical Co., Ltd.

Since more than 60 years leading manufacturer of synthetic products

Worldwide more than 200 subsidiaries

Approx. 20.000 employees

Annual Turnover

SEKISUI Chemical Co. Ltd.

[billions €]

7.628 8.041 8.603

2010 2011 2012

Business Units

High Performance

Plastics

Housing

Urban Infrastructure

and Environmental

Continuous glass-fibre and Polyurethane

durability of plastics

light weight and workability like wood

Pultrusion process

FFU sleepers are manufactured by

Pultrusion.

Glass fibers are soaked in polyurethane

and the linkage is then hardened at a raised

temperature.

Fibre reinforced Foamed Urethane

Form

Polyurethane

Heat

FFU – sleeper

Compression

Continuous glass-fibre

Best Places at the Track

Bridges

Steel and Ballast

Switches

Slim tie

Best Track type

Direct Fixation

Slab track

Ballast track

1980 Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) adopted FFU after laboratorial

approval in Japan and started the following field tests:

Miomotegawa Bridge of Uetsu Line

Kanmon Tunnel of Sanyo Line

1985 very good results of field tests

FFU sleeper became a approved standard product of JNR

1991 RTRI reported the results of 10 years field tests, which showed almost no

deterioration. Application of FFU by private and municipal railways.

1996 RTRI reported the results of 15 years field tests, which indicated that the strength

deterioration of 15 year old wooden sleepers will be equal to the strength

deterioration of 50 year old FFU sleepers.

2007 Japanese Industrial Standard JIS 1203

2011 RTRI tested FFU sleeper installed in 1980 positive – announced further use for the

next 20 years positive to JR

Historical development


2004 Austria: First FFU Railway project in Europe, Metro bridge in Vienna

2005 Austria: ÖBB and Wiener Linien installed FFU on further projects

2008 Germany: 16 cm FFU sleeper positive tested by TU Munich

First switch on FFU in Germany – Chempark Leverkusen

Austria: LCC Analysis of TU Graz for ÖBB - FFU sleepers on open steel bridges,

FFU is more economical than wood if bridge life time is longer than 15

years

2009 Germany: Approval of FFU by EBA for German Railway Infrastructure

2010 Germany: Installation of FFU switch in Germany by Hamburger Hochbahn and MVV

Austria: Installation of FFU double slip on Vienna main station by ÖBB

2011 Germany: Deutsche Bahn – first Bridge with FFU sleepers on open steel bridge and

low height sleepers (12 cm) in ballasted track

2012 Germany: Deutsche Bahn – two switches 70,000 t/day & sleepers & bridges

Netherland: Pro Rail installed 3 bridges

2013 Austria: Wiener Linien installed 78 switches with FFU

Germany: 12 cm slim tie positive tested by TU Munich

for 22,5 t axel load and 200 km/h

2014 Switzerland: approval for FFU sleepers starting by 12 cm height and for

tunnels where wooden sleepers are used given by BAV

RHB will install first bridge plus slim ties 12 cm

BLS will install 2 switches and 1 bridge

England: Network Rail will install longitudinal (40/40cm) and regular bridge

sleepers

World: ISO Standard 12856-1 for synthetic sleepers enters into force

Worldwide approximately 90.000 FFU Synthetic

Sleepers are installed annually

Accumulated installation amount until 2013 has become more than

2,1 million sleepers

1.300 km of track


Technical properties

property unit

beech FFU synthetic wood

standard new old 10 years 15 years

density [kg/m3] 750 740 740 740 JIS Z 2101

flexural strength [kN/cm2] 8 14,2 12,5 13,1 JIS Z 2101

elastic modulus [kN/cm2] 710 810 800 816 JIS Z 2101

Compressive strength [kN/cm2] 4,0 5,8 6,6 6,3 JIS Z 2101

Shear strength [kN/cm2] 1,2 1,0 0,95 0,96 JIS Z 2101

hardness [kN/cm2] 1,7 2,8 2,5 2,7 JIS Z 2101

Impact flexural strength

+ 20°C [J/cm2] 20 41 - - JIS Z 2101

- 20°C [J/cm2] 8 41 - - JIS Z 2101

Water absorption [mg/cm2] 137 3,3 - - JIS Z 2101

Insulation resistance

dry [Ω] 6,6x107 1,6x1013 2,1x1012 3,6x1012 JIS K 6852

wet [Ω] 5,9x104 1,4x108 5,9x1010 1,9x109 JIS K 6852

Pull-out force dog nail [kN] 25 28 28 23 RTRI

Pull-out force screw [kN] 43 65 - - RTRI

EBA (German Railway Authority),

following research was conducted:

• Sleeper behavior under the impact of vertical and horizontal

loads during the effect of repeated loading. Bedding in ballast

track according DIN-EN 13481-3 (wooden sleeper)

• Tightening torque tests: determine tensile strength of sleeper

screws depending on torque moment.

• Sleeper screw extraction tests in accordance with DIN EN

13481-2. (concrete sleeper)

• Impact tests to simulate derailment in accordance with German

railways technical terms of delivery

• Electrical resistance in accordance with DIN EN 13146-5

• Static and dynamic tests of sleepers according to DIN EN

13230-2.(concrete sleeper)

Effect of repeated loading

test

TU Munich September 2008

Elastic Rail Head Deflection Constant Rail Head Deflection

right support left support right support left support

2.12 mm 1.71 mm 0.42 mm 0.29 mm

After 3 million load cycles

Extraction Testing Average extraction force in FFU is 61 kN.

Previous extraction tests on sleeper screws on wooden

sleepers showed extraction forces of approx. 35 kN.

[see Research Report no. 1687, dated June 30.,1997].

Impact Tests A tup (5 kN) with a wheel-flange shaped blade is dropped

twice per test from a height of 75 cm onto the impact area.

The sleeper is positioned at a slope of 30°. During testing,

the sleeper is placed on a 6mm pad.

Electrical Resistance Test 1 Test 2 Test 3

Date 10.07.2008 11.07.2008 12.07.2008

Ry [kΩ] 38.9 63.8 57.7

Y [mS/m] 44.4 45.3 44.6

Ky 1.332 1.359 1.338

R33 [kΩ] 51.8 86.7 77.2

Mean value R33 [kΩ] 71,9

Hence, it can be assumed that the required minimum

resistance value of R33 ≥ 5 kΩ in accordance with DIN EN

13481-5 was achieved with great certainty.


Static Tests at Sleeper Centre Bearing distance was 1.5 m, load plate width was 100 mm. The

initial test force was set at 20 kN. Subsequently, the load was

gradually increased by 5 kN, while sleeper deflection was

registered by four dial indicator gauges.

Up to a load of 240 kN, corresponding to a tensile bending

strength of 74 N/mm² on the bottom of the sleeper, no crack was

detected within the bending area where flexural tension was

applied.


Static Pressure Test Up to a load of 150 kN no plastic deformation was

detected

Thus, a load of 300 kN (supporting force) below

the rib plate shows a plastic deformation of a

maximum of 0.8 mm. Generally the support force

for an axle load of 250 kN is 150 kN under the

most severe conditions.

Static Bending at T = RT and T = -

10°C FFU sleepers were stored in a climate-controlled environment at

T=-20°C for two days. The average testing temperature is T = -

10°C . The sleeper shows no signs of embrittlement at low

temperatures. A comparison of deformation results does not show

any significant differences.

Test of temperature dependency of sleeper deformation behavior

showed no significant bending differences at T=RT and T=10°C.

At T= -10°C there is no noticeable brittleness due to temperature

variation. Deformation is predominately purely elastic.


Fatigue test on rail seat height 120

mm A load of 150 kN was selected for the fatigue test. This

corresponds to an axle load of 250 kN and a train speed V <

200 km/h. A static load of 1.2 x 150 kN = 180 kN was applied

before the fatigue test. After the fatigue test the static load was

increased to 2 x 150 kN = 300 kN.

No damage to the sleeper could be established during the

fatigue test. The ribbed plate was subsequently removed.

Plastic deformations of approximately 0.85 mm.

Extraction tests on FFU height 120

mm The tests were conducted in line with EN 13481-2 attachment A

on 12 sleeper screws Ss 8-140 and synthetic wood sleepers

with a height of 120 mm.


Sleeper screw Ss-8 – diameter 24 mm

Hole diameter / drill tool Mean value [kN]

19 mm / steel drill 56.8

20 mm / steel drill 52.7

20 mm / wood drill 49.6

Slim tie with a height of 100 and 120 mm

Static tests in centre of sleeper

(sleeper heights 100 mm and 120

mm) The support spacing was 1.5 m and load plate width was 100

mm. The initial test load was set to 10 kN. Subsequently the

load was increased in increments of 10 kN, with sleeper

bending registered on four dial gauges.

Diagram below shows the values of sleeper bending up to a

load of 70 kN, corresponding to a torque of 24.5 kNm

TU Munich September 2013 Slim tie with a height of 100 and 120 mm

Manufacturing of FFU

Customized production

Easy repair For example: Fastening position may be readjusted by filling nail holes

Many possible solutions with FFU

①Removal of rail ②Filling of nail holes with the special

filling resin or the plugs ③Tying of rail

Projects in Japan since 1985 Bridges – open steel constructions – concrete

Projects in Japan since 1985 Switches – ballasted track - slab track

Projects international since 1985

Japan, Taiwan, China - switches – ballasted track - slab

track

Bridge, Switches, 38 t Axel load Projects in Australia since 2011

Bridge – 38 t Axel load - 40 million tonnes the year Projects in USA since 2011

Projects in Austria since 2004 bridges

Projects in Austria since 2004 switches, ballast, slab, direct fixation

Projects in Austria since 2004 bridges, switch

Projects in Germany since 2008

ballast, bridge, switches, slim tie

bridges Projects in Germany since 2008

Switche, slim tie, ballast Projects in Germany since 2008

Projects in Netherland since 2012 bridge

Projects in Switzerland since 2014 switch

Handling at the project Drilling, sawing, chiseling

Contact FFU - Ballast

Recycling 100% K-FFU

Experienced Advantages

Customized sleepers mm exactly optimizing of design & profile

Form retentive always good bearing on construction

Easy & fast installation minimizes: installation costs / track closing time

Easy care/repair minimizes: installation time/sleeper amount

Chemical/oil resistance application in special areas

Ecological 100% recyclable

Maintenance very little; minimizes maintenance costs/time

High availability of track maximizing possible trains on the track

Workability/weight like wood, 740 kg/m3

Long life time reduces total cost of track and

saves money for further project investments

SEKISUI CHEMICAL GMBH

Cantadorstr.3

40211 Düsseldorf

Germany

TEL: +49-(0)211-36977-0

FAX: +49-(0)211-36977-31

E-Mail: [email protected]

www.sekisui-railwaytechnology.com

gunther koller

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