Welded Steel Sleepers for Tunnel TBM

Welded steel sleepers (also known as steel ties) for Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) projects are specialized rail supports typically fabricated from high-strength steel plates or channel steel. Unlike standard railway ties, TBM sleepers are often curved or bent during processing to fit the specific circular invert of a tunnel, ensuring a stable foundation for the temporary tracks that transport equipment, personnel, and excavated spoil. 

Key Advantages in TBM Environments

• High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Steel sleepers are significantly lighter than concrete alternatives, which simplifies logistics in the restricted spaces of a TBM backup area.

• Custom Adaptability: Signum Rail Fastening produces components of steel sleepers for tunnel TBM to custom specifications, including various radii for different tunnel diameters.

• Reusability: Their robust, welded construction allows them to be disassembled and reused for multiple project stages or entirely different tunnels.

• Space Efficiency: Because they require less ballast depth than concrete, they are ideal for maintaining track levels in tunnels where height is constrained. 

Technical Specifications and Types

• Materials: Typically made from hot-rolled steel alloys or bent steel plates to withstand high dynamic loads from heavy-haul TBM supply trains.

• Corrosion Resistance: Most are treated with hot-dip galvanization to survive the humid, often corrosive underground environment.

• Gantry Rail Sleepers: Specialized versions designed for the TBM's gantry system, which must support immense loads as the machine advances.

• Lifespan: High-quality steel sleepers can have a service life of 30 to 50 years, though temporary TBM versions are typically removed after the permanent lining is completed. 

Signum Rail Fastening offers a wide range of sleepers for different purposes. We customize the matching steel sleepers and track fixing system according to the size of the tunnel and the type of track used. The excellent technical team and processing experience ensure that the sleepers produced by Signum team are of stable quality and have a good user experience.