Evaluation of Hybrid Composite Materials for Cribbing Applications in Train Derailment Recovery

Abstract

Railway systems play a crucial role for transporting goods andpassengers. When derailments occur, cranes need a stable base to lift traincars, often relying on wooden sleepers arranged in cribbing structures.However, wood is heavy, susceptible to rot, and raises environmental issues.This study introduces a sustainable alternative through sandwich compositestructures featuring hybrid face sheets composed of recycled plastics (rHDPE,rLDPE, rPE) and wood flour from both softwood and hardwood. Ten differentmaterial ratios were prepared using twin-screw extrusion and compressionmolding to assess their mechanical properties. The optimal performing blendconsisted of 70% recycled plastic and 30% softwood flour, showing superiorstrength, surface hardness, and water resistance. The softwood plasticcomposite sheets exhibit higher flexural and compressive strength comparedto materials made from hardwood flour, suggesting that the type of woodflour used influences the overall strength of the composites. Additionally,using rHDPE as the core material further improves the mechanical properties.The sandwich structure with an HDPE plastic core layer showed superiorperformance in terms of parallel compression, bending resistance, and surfacehardness when compared to structures with core layers made of other typesof plastics. When compared to conventional wood, the newly developedcomposite material is lighter in weight, more durable, and exhibits much lowerwater absorption. This innovative material provides an eco-friendly andeffective substitute for traditional wooden sleepers, promoting a moresustainable and robust railway infrastructure.