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Towards Sustainable Railways Using Polymeric Inclusions, Polyurethane Foam and Marginal Materials Derived from Rubber Tires
by
Piyush Punetha
Piyush Punetha
Dr. Piyush Punetha is a Research Associate at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a [...]
Dr. Piyush Punetha is a Research Associate at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia, specialising in transportation geotechnics. He earned his PhD from UTS, Australia in 2022 and received the prestigious 'Railway Engineering PhD Thesis Award' from the Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA) for his outstanding doctoral thesis. He subsequently contributed to several research projects funded by the Federal and State governments in Australia. He has prior experience in working on projects focused on railway geotechnics, slope stability assessment, seismic isolation, liquefaction mitigation and innovative foundation systems. He is recognised for his research contributions, with 23 articles published in esteemed journals, a patent, and 16 research grants, scholarships/fellowships and awards, including the '2025 UTS Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Citation', among others. He is an active reviewer of over 20 leading journals in geotechnical engineering. His research interests include railway geotechnics, pavement geotechnics, geosynthetics, computational geomechanics, bioengineering and sustainability.
,
Mohammad Adnan Farooq
Mohammad Adnan Farooq
Dr Mohammad Adnan Farooq is a Chartered Civil and Geotechnical Engineer and a Casual Academic at the [...]
Dr Mohammad Adnan Farooq is a Chartered Civil and Geotechnical Engineer and a Casual Academic at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He holds a Doctorate in Civil Engineering with a specialisation in Geotechnical (Railway) Engineering from UTS. With over eight years of progressive industry experience in roads and railways, his expertise is demonstrated through more than 15 publications and significant accolades, including a gold medal from the National Institute of Technology Srinagar (India), the 2025 Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA) Best PhD Thesis Award and the 2024 UTS Casual Academic of the Year. He was also part of the team that received the UTS Teaching and Learning Citation in 2024. Dr. Adnan is a Chartered Professional Engineer with Engineers Australia and a Chartered Civil Engineer with the Institution of Engineers India, and has a proven track record of delivering data-driven, cost-effective engineering solutions for complex infrastructure projects.
Naveen Kumar Meena
Naveen Kumar Meena
Dr. Naveen Kumar Meena is a Geotechnical Engineer at Beca Pty Ltd, based in Sydney, Australia. He a [...]
Dr. Naveen Kumar Meena is a Geotechnical Engineer at Beca Pty Ltd, based in Sydney, Australia. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), earned in 2022. With over five years of combined experience in both academia and industry, Dr. Meena has developed a robust expertise in geotechnical engineering, particularly in the areas of foundation design and numerical modelling. His professional journey includes working on a diverse range of infrastructure projects, where he has applied advanced analytical techniques and cutting-edge simulation tools to solve real-world geotechnical challenges. He has published more than 17 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals and international conference proceedings. His dedication to excellence, collaborative spirit and technical acumen position him as a rising expert in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Sanjay Nimbalkar
Sanjay Nimbalkar
Dr. Sanjay Nimbalkar serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). [...]
Dr. Sanjay Nimbalkar serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He is a fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust). In 2014, he was awarded the Thomas Telford Premium by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for his contributions to ground improvement. Additionally, he received the Second Professor Joseph M. Sussman Best Paper Prize in 2019. In 2020, he was honored with the Editor's Choice Award for the best paper in the International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering. Furthermore, he was the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Associate Editor award from Frontiers in Built Environment (Switzerland). His team was also awarded the 2024 UTS Teaching and Learning Citation for their contributions in developing future railway engineers through innovative, immersive and industry-relevant learning experiences. A/Prof Nimbalkar was also an EMCR (Early- and Mid-Career Research) fellow of the Australia–India Strategic Research Fund, supported by the Australian Academy of Science from 2020 to 2022. He has actively participated in delivering short courses on 'Geotechnical Aspects of Earthquake Engineering' and 'Railway Geotechnics' as a foreign expert under the GIAN scheme of the Government of India. He is also serving as an adjunct faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India (appointed in 2020), and a visiting associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), India (appointed in 2022).
1
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
2
Beca Pty. Ltd., Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9007; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209007 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 6 September 2025
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Revised: 3 October 2025
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Accepted: 8 October 2025
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Published: 11 October 2025
Abstract
Rail transport is widely regarded as a sustainable and environmentally friendly option for long-distance freight and passenger movement during its operation phase. However, its construction and maintenance phases often result in substantial environmental impacts, which must be addressed to improve the overall sustainability of railways. This study aims to identify solutions that improve the performance of railway tracks, reduce maintenance requirements, and minimize environmental impact. With this objective, the potential of artificial inclusions and innovative composite materials in enhancing the sustainability of railway tracks is investigated through a comprehensive methodology, combining experimental, analytical and numerical approaches. A novel composite material, comprising soil, scrap tire aggregates and an adhesive, demonstrated strong potential as a sustainable base layer for ballastless railway tracks, exhibiting minimal strain accumulation (0.29–0.98%) under 50,000 load cycles and adequate damping. Incorporation of cellular artificial inclusions in the substructure layers of ballasted tracks reduced cumulative settlement by up to 33% and slowed track geometry deterioration. Use of planar artificial inclusions beneath a pile-supported railway embankment enhanced the load transfer efficiency and curtailed settlement, while also lowering environmental impact by reducing concrete usage. The findings of this study highlight strong potential of these approaches in improving track performance and the overall sustainability of railways.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Punetha, P.; Farooq, M.A.; Meena, N.K.; Nimbalkar, S.
Towards Sustainable Railways Using Polymeric Inclusions, Polyurethane Foam and Marginal Materials Derived from Rubber Tires. Sustainability 2025, 17, 9007.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209007
AMA Style
Punetha P, Farooq MA, Meena NK, Nimbalkar S.
Towards Sustainable Railways Using Polymeric Inclusions, Polyurethane Foam and Marginal Materials Derived from Rubber Tires. Sustainability. 2025; 17(20):9007.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209007
Chicago/Turabian Style
Punetha, Piyush, Mohammad Adnan Farooq, Naveen Kumar Meena, and Sanjay Nimbalkar.
2025. "Towards Sustainable Railways Using Polymeric Inclusions, Polyurethane Foam and Marginal Materials Derived from Rubber Tires" Sustainability 17, no. 20: 9007.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209007
APA Style
Punetha, P., Farooq, M. A., Meena, N. K., & Nimbalkar, S.
(2025). Towards Sustainable Railways Using Polymeric Inclusions, Polyurethane Foam and Marginal Materials Derived from Rubber Tires. Sustainability, 17(20), 9007.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209007
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