Strukton use of a first bamboo sleeper

At Strukton Prefab’s concrete plant in Utrecht, a rail segment renewal provided an opportunity to trial Dragonwood Rail’s bamboo sleeper, an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional sleepers. Project manager Steffen Horvers expressed the company's commitment to innovation and contribution to sustainability. The bamboo sleeper, made from compressed and glued bamboo fibre, offers significant environmental benefits. Unlike wooden sleepers treated with chemicals or CO2-intensive concrete sleepers, bamboo sleepers have negative CO2 emissions and grow rapidly, reducing the need for logging.

Thomas Lambooij, co-owner of Dragonwood Rail, highlighted the development of bamboo composite products to address deforestation and the decreasing quality of tropical hardwood. Bamboo composite products have shown superior performance in heavy industrial applications. The transition to bamboo sleepers in railway tracks is a logical step given the extensive use of tropical hardwood in the sector. The bamboo sleepers have undergone rigorous testing at TU Munich, meeting German and Dutch standards for sleepers.

Strukton installed five bamboo sleepers on its industrial track as part of the trial. These sleepers underwent extensive tensile and push tests to ensure the securement and resistance of railroad spikes. André van den Broek, Strukton Rail Construction Supervisor, praised the durability and solid appearance of the bamboo sleepers. Steffen Horvers acknowledged the current production in China and discussed the potential for European bamboo farms to reduce transport costs and environmental impact, making the sleepers even more appealing.

Strukton Rail Short Line sees significant potential in using bamboo sleepers, particularly for switches where timber is typically used. Plans are underway to use bamboo composite sleepers for a complete switch at a future location. This initiative aligns with the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action). Strukton is dedicated to contributing to these global goals, actively focusing on several SDGs to create a better world by 2030.