Timeline

1978 – 2014 Japan and the world

1978 Okouchi prize and award of the Directorate General of Japan‘s Research and Development Agency for the development of FFU synthetic wood
1979 Deming prize for high level and comprehensive quality control
1980 Field trials of FFU railway sleepers at the bridge over the Miomonte river and in the Kanmon tunnel
1985 Examination of test sleepers by Japan‘s Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI). Results are outstanding.
FFU synthetic wood is adopted as the standard sleeper by Japanese National Railways (JNR).
1996 Japan‘s Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) retests sleepers from the field trials of 1980. An extrapolation over 100 million load cycles leads to a forecast lifespan of 50 years.
2007 Japanese industry standard JIS E 1203 is published
2011 RTRI tests sleepers from field trials of 1980. Results confirm a 50-year life expectancy. Written notification to JNR that sleepers can be used reliably for a further 20 years.
2014 ISO 12856-1 “Plastic railway sleepers“ in force
Qualitätskontrolle

2004 - 2016 Europe

2004 Austria | First bridge projects in Europe using FFU synthetic wood
2008 Germany | First switch system using FFU synthetic wood in Leverkusen
Munich Technical University concludes investigation for FFU 16 cm construction height.
2009 Germany | The German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) grants approval for operational trials of FFU synthetic sleepers.
2010 Germany | FFU switch systems installed on Hamburger Hochbahn and Munich transportation network (MVV)
Austria | ÖBB | Double slip crossing at Vienna‘s main railway station
2011 Germany | DB AG | Bridge project in Vilsbiburg
2012 Germany | DB AG | Two switch systems at Würzburg railway station, each carrying 70,000 load tonnes/day
Germany | DB AG | Ongoing installation of FFU synthetic wood on bridge projects
Netherlands | ProRail | 3 bridge projects
2013 Austria | Wiener Linien | 78 switches in the vicinity of stations
Germany | Munich Technical University tests 12 cm flat sleepers with positive results for 22.5 t axle load and v ≤ 200 km/h
2014 Germany | Federal Railway Authority approval for operational trials of the 12 cm flat sleeper
Switzerland | BAV approval for operational trials from 12 cm upwards construction height, including for tunnel installations where wooden sleepers are installed
Switzerland | BLS | A switch, a double slip crossing, first bridge project
Switzerland | RhB | Bridge projects with flat sleepers in ballast and bridge sleepers on steel supporting structure
United Kingdom | Network Rail | Two bridge projects with longitudinal baulks w/h/l = 38/38/7.50 m and standard sleepers
2015 Belgium | Infrabel | Counterpoise bridge is equipped with FFU
France | Tisseo | 2 switches in ballastless track in Toulouse
Switzerland | SOB | Hurdener bridge over lake Zürichsee
Switzerland | SBB | Bridge in St. Gallen
Netherlands | FFU certified for use by ProRail
United Kingdom | Network Rail | Faversham bridge with fastening directly on longitudinal baulks
2016 United Kingdom | Network Rail | Rochester bridge with fastening directly on longitudinal baulks
United Kingdom | London Underground | First switch and first bridge
France | Keolis | Lille | Two switches in ballastless track
Qualitätskontrolle
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