“A world-first system of rubber shock absorbers made from recycled tyres protects railway tracks from damage and helps the environment.” Source:-uts.edu.au It looks simple enough. A thick black rubber mat in a honeycomb pattern. But what it’s made of, what fits inside it and, perhaps most important, what it has been proven to do makes this plain rubber matting very special. The patented construction technology has been designed to underlay railways tracks, taking the weight of a 70,000-tonne train and acting as a shock absorber to protect critical infrastructure. It is made in collaboration with Australian company Ecoflex International and tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, who have worked with UTS Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna AM and his team at the Transport Research Centre to develop this simple but amazingly versatile product. Professor Buddhima Indraratna shows the rubber shock absorber at UTS TechLab. Photo Andy Roberts. Shock absorber for train tracks “Trains put a huge amount of impact load onto ...