Keywords: railway sleeper, fibre reinforced concrete, structural performance, prestressed concrete.

With the increase in railway traffic and axle loads over the last few decades, traditional sleepers are experiencing more premature failure, resulting in significant maintenance costs. While such concerns about the conventional materials have long been acknowledged, replacement with composite alternatives remains fairly limited in practice. In this paper, a comprehensive assessment (i.e. experimental & numerical) of the conventional concrete sleepers reinforced with high-strength, prestressed steel and macro synthetic fibres are provided to improve structural performance. Indeed, by incorporating macro synthetic fibres that possess adequate structural and sustainable characteristics, this study aims to address innovatively the current cracking and corrosion issues commonly associated with the prestressed concrete railway sleeper. Moreover, to further validate the structural behaviour of macro synthetic fibre reinforcement in prestressed concrete sleepers, numerical models are compared with the experimental results that demonstrate the design feasibility for the current specifications and future demands. Finally, using a life cycle costing approach, the long-term financial benefits of macro synthetic fibre reinforcement in sleepers are acknowledged despite their relatively high investment costs. Accordingly, the findings in this paper provide an improved understanding of the reinforcing capabilities and financial feasibility of macro synthetic fibre towards the development of innovative sleepers for the railway industry.

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