A world-first system of rubber shock absorbers will significantly reduce infrastructure costs and help the environment.
Professor Buddhima Indraratna shows the rubber shock absorber at UTS TechLab. Photo Andy Roberts.
UTS Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna AM and his team at the Transport Research Centre, have created a simple but innovative product. Made in collaboration with Ecoflex International and tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, Buddhima’s team have developed the world’s first system of rubber shock absorbers.
The absorbers were tested at UTS TechLab in a custom-built vibration unit, where the data was then presented to Sydney Trains.
[Sydney Trains] decided to do a real-life trial and built the test track at Chullora. It was the first time a rubber system had been put under railway track anywhere in the world.
UTS Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna AM.
Approximately 500 metre length of rail track tested the performance of different solutions including the rubber tyre shock absorbers, rubber grids and rubber crumbs mixed with natural rock ballast to further reduce noise and vibration.
A stretch of test track was laid at Chullora NSW. Photo supplied by Ecoflex.
Contributing to a circular economy
Not only will the rubber shock absorbers cause less damage to infrastructure, but they will also significantly reduce the environmental impacts of rail construction and maintenance.
We’re not just recycling rubber tyres, we’re saving on expensive crushed rock. Imagine the thousands of tonnes of material being saved by this layer that’s 40 centimetres thick over kilometre after kilometre of track. That’s rock that doesn’t need to be blasted and mined.
Jim Grant, manager of Ecoflex International.
The Transport Research Centre team calculated that for every metre of railway track underlaid, one tonne of carbon dioxide would be sequestered rather than going into the atmosphere.
While the focus of the project has been for Sydney Trains, Buddhima has also had interest from rail authorities in the UK, China, India and Canada.
Buddhima has also recently received several major awards in 2024, including an Member of the Order of Australia in January and the VI José Entrecanales Ibarra Civil Engineering Award in Spain in May.