Recycled shock absorbers to revolutionise rail industry

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. 

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.

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. 

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.