[Reading Science] "Discarded Sleepers Become Sound-Absorbing Blocks"... Railway Waste Recycled On-Site

Demonstration of Mobile Crushing and Sorting Device for Waste Concrete Sleepers
Expanding "Resource Circulation" for Railway Carbon Neutrality

The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) has unveiled a mobile recycling device that can immediately crush and separate waste concrete sleepers generated at railway sites for on-site reuse. Previously, large quantities of discarded sleepers had to be transported to external processing facilities. Now, they can be processed immediately on-site and reused as recyclable materials such as rebar and aggregate.

On May 13, KRRI announced that it held an on-site demonstration of the "Waste Concrete Sleeper Recycling Device" for officials from related railway organizations at a concrete sleeper stacking site near Kim Yu-jung Station in Chuncheon City.

On the 13th, a 'Waste Concrete Sleeper Recycling Device On-Site Demonstration' event was held at a concrete sleeper stacking area near Kim Yu-jeong Station in Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province. Provided by Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology

The newly released device is designed to be transported directly to railway premises and connected to an excavator to immediately crush waste concrete sleepers. It then automatically separates and sorts materials such as rebar and concrete aggregate, recovering them in a recyclable state. KRRI expects this on-site processing approach will help reduce both the costs and carbon emissions associated with transportation.

Notably, the demonstration also featured a prototype "sound-absorbing block" made using aggregate recovered from the waste sleepers. Previously, aggregates from waste concrete sleepers contained impurities, which limited their usability. However, KRRI has developed a technology that recycles these aggregates into sound-absorbing blocks suitable for use in transportation infrastructure and buildings, while minimizing additional processing.

"Railway Carbon Neutrality: From Energy to Resource Circulation"

The developed sound-absorbing blocks are produced by mixing recovered aggregates with a minimal amount of binder. KRRI plans to install these blocks on a trial basis in railway stations and other real-world environments in the second half of this year to verify their sound absorption performance and field applicability.

Sound-absorbing block made using recycled waste concrete sleeper aggregates. Provided by the Korea Railroad Research Institute

This technology was developed through the Ministry of Science and ICT’s basic research project, "Development of Technologies for Reducing Waste Generation and Recycling of Railway Facilities (2022–2024)," supported by the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST). The project is now expanding into a follow-up initiative, "Establishment of a Digital Ecosystem for Environmental Information Across the Railway Life Cycle and Development of Decarbonization Element Technologies (2026–2028)," with ongoing demonstration testing.

Lee Jaeyoung, head of the Transportation Environment Research Department at KRRI, stated, "By utilizing the waste concrete sleeper recycling device and sound-absorbing blocks, we aim to recycle the increasing volume of discarded concrete sleepers in railway infrastructure and contribute to carbon reduction through resource circulation."

Sakong Myung, president of KRRI, commented, "This technology development expands railway carbon neutrality efforts from an energy focus to full resource circulation, exemplifying railway-specific climate tech. We will continue to expand related technological developments to achieve railway carbon neutrality by 2050."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.