STRAILastic products easy on eye and ear

Safety and Assurance

Easy on the eye, and easy on the ear

With STRAILastic’s sound protection systems, railway noise no longer needs to be a source of annoyance.

While every person evaluates sound sources differently, “railway noise” has a relatively low tolerance threshold and can be particularly irritating.

STRAILastic sound protection systems have been developed to protect people from unwanted railway sounds. The goal is to combat noise where it is generated, i.e. close to the rail.

As STRAILastic Australia Managing Director Rod Pomroy says: “We can close our eyes – not our ears.”

“STRAILastic sound protection systems can be installed without planning approval procedure and can be individually adapted to sites,” he said.

“In addition to achieving a high level of noise reduction, they also give residents and passengers back their free view of the landscape.

“Fight the noise where it is generated, close to the track. For this reason, we place our products as close as possible to the rail and the railway clearance whilst allowing maintenance work to continue.

“Our mini sound walls capture the wheel rail noise within the rail corridor whilst our high noise absorbing sound protection products that do not have a separating effect on the landscape.”

Pomroy said with the STRAILastic products, high noise barrier structures that were commonly installed are now a thing of the past.

“The products can be installed very easily without planning approvals and they can be installed with sleeper extensions attached to the top of retaining walls or viaduct parapets or if required a simple mini pile foundation,” he said.

“These vulcanised rubber moulded wall panels and rail web dampers are made from long life fibre-reinforced rubber, and are coated to make them UV ozone-and fire resistant.

“There’s no material fatigue due to vibrations, we can deliver them quickly, and they can be installed on either or both sides of a track.”

RAIL DAMPERS (A INOX)

STRAILastic also produces the A inox 2.0 rail damper, which reduces the vibrations from the rail and the resulting sound emission through their adjusted material properties.

“The rail damper consists of vulcanised virgin rubber with steel insert and stainless steel clamps for fastening,” Pomroy said.

“Fastened in the rail web, it is not necessary to remove the rail damper for track maintenance.”

SOUND PROTECTION WALLS (MSW)

The mSW is a mini sound protection wall installed just barely outside the clearance area.

There are two types: the msW390 just outside the kinematic envelope, or the slighter higher msW730 clear of the ballasted shoulder.

Both can be fastened to the sleepers, typically with sleeper extensions which are bolted to the galvanised metal substructure. Gates can be installed in both mini sound walls for vehicle access, which also allows a quick disassembly for maintenance work.

Experience has shown that about 30-40 metres of STRAILastic mSW can be installed per hour.

“For major freight corridors , STRAILastic mSW 730, being a slightly higher noise barrier, covers the surface area of freight wagon wheels including the wheel’s brake shoe,” Pomroy said.

STRAILastic mSW 730 can be fastened directly with ground screws (mini piles) or attached by sleeper extensions to both rails with an insulated, decoupled substructure, and is the first mini sound wall offered with the new highly absorbent acoustic surface is used.

INFILL PANELS (IP)

STRAILastic IP, or infill panel, provides sound insulation to existing corridors by attaching direct to viaduct structures, tops of retaining walls or direct to the bridge hand rails.

“Since its release in 2015, the fibre-reinforced infill panel has been playing to its strengths, especially on bridges and retaining walls in exposed locations,” Pomroy said.

“In addition, it is possible to attach individually printed panels on the outside.”

SOUND WALLS (SW)

The new STRAILastic SW is a system that can be “placed almost anywhere”.

“This is possible thanks to our patented manufacturing process and where the metal fastening is integrated into the moulded noise wall,” Pomroy said.

TUNNEL AND WALL PANELS (TP, WP)

STRAILastic TP was specially developed for use in tunnels. and can be produced in a sheet form, moulded to fit the tunnel wall or as a flat panel.

They can be produced with their own self supporting galvanised steel frame if required.

“The panels are attached directly to the tunnel wall with mounting rails, so users can replace individual panels at any time whilst resisting the extreme pressure and suction forces that arise in a tunnel,” Pomroy said.

THE NEXT GENERATION

The latest sound protection systems from STRAILastic will be equipped with the new generation of its absorbent acoustic surface.

The basic material remains the durable and stable rubber compound, which has been used by STRAILastic for more than 50 years. The damping effect of the weight of the elements and properties of rubber are now complemented by this new high absorbent mat panel incorporated into the panels.

SRAILastic is happy to work closely with clients and their acoustic consultants to develop specific site solutions.

In more ways than one, with STRAILastic sound protection systems, users can be assured that rail tracks are easily gentle on their mind … and ears.

Our Fugro RILA solution offers a safer, faster and more affordable way to gather accurate, up-to-date rail infrastructure data and analysis, with limited disruption to service. Survey once - use many times.