Railway Sleepers for Builders

Railway sleepers are often utilized in the civil engineering and landscaping industry. Builders typically have their own experiences. The issue, however, is that there are three or more distinctly different products in this category. Treating them as interchangeable products results in either a budget excess or a budget shortfall.

The most visually appealing product is the reclaimed hardwood sleeper. Reclaimed hardwood sleepers are authentic railway timber that has been retired, and are often oak or tropical hardwood. They are heavy and are full of character with a lot of history. On the other hand, these sleepers are the most meticulous option. For a time, original railway sleepers were treated with a wood preservative called creosote. Some of these creosote-treated wood samples still have creosote, and because of this, they are considered to be a hazardous material. This is especially true when there is a risk of skin contact, in or around vegetable gardens, and in or near children’s play areas. The creosote can be absorbed and seeped into the surrounding garden soil. A reclaimed sleeper that looks clea in the garden can still contain this issue, as the exposure will cause the timber to ooze creosote when heated. Landscape contractors must communicate these limitations to clients.

While there is a concern of creosote, new oak sleepers are cut from first growth hardwood, instead of reclaimed hardwood, and they also have the appearance of reclaimed hardwood. They are “treated” in the sense that they have been treated with a wood preservative to prolong the life of the timber. As a result, they are more cost effective for a contractor to use. For people who are planning a project with a timber element, softwood may be the most cost and time effective wood for that project.

Pressure-treated softwood sleepers rule this category because of their light weight, ease of cutting, cost, and uniformity of measurements. UC4 treatment provides a service life of 15 to 20 years, better than most landscaping applications. The market likes post-fence weathered look. New sleepers will be a vastly different color than weathered timber. The great news is the timber treatment will last 15 years and is cost-effective at $50 a length.

The structural trade off’s of timber sleepers for retaining walls are a major factor to consider. The timber trade off’s become more significant as more soil is being held back. The sleepers need to be properly haunched, meaning the sleepers need to be set in concrete and braced, and the drainage behind the wall needs to be designed. It is common for retaining wall drainage to be poorly designed. Water pressure becomes an even bigger problem by combining a poorly designed drainage system and retaining wall.

We outline the major tradeoffs of using both softwood and hardwood sleepers as retaining walls. This includes reclaimed and new timber. We outline the major tradeoffs from the perspective of builders and landscaping contractors who are purchasing materials in bulk, to the extent that they are nervous to ensure that their material will be compliant to all regional and nationwide trade regulations.