Super Sleepers & post can be easily trimmed with a circular saw with a timber cutting blade or a grinder with a cutting blade to the desired length. Super Sleepers surface is paintable.
There are many ways to cut sleepers, but we recommend using a circular saw for accuracy, precision and speed.
A good handsaw is probably going to be best for you. You could knock up a giant mitre box quite simply and quickly to help with your accuracy - you could even use the sawn ends of other sleepers as a guide assuming they're square of course.
Ezzy Fit composite retaining wall sleepers can be quickly adjusted with a circular saw or grinder within seconds, unlike concrete sleepers that require a time-consuming wet saw.
Masonry or diamond blade quick cut saws are most commonly used when cutting sleepers on site. You must then cover the exposed reo bars with cold galv spray to protect the reo bars inside and prolong the life of the sleeper.
Concrete can be cut with a manual angle grinder, which is enough for infrequent cutting needs. A concrete saw is required when cutting reinforced concrete. Patience and practise are all you need to become a DIY concrete resurfacing master.
The 80mm width sleeper of the 1.5m long sleeper has a weight of 60kgs and has been engineered to retained up to 3.4m height of soil considering a 5Kpa Surcharge (download technical engineering document for accurate info and can have a maximum retained height of up to 6.8m using the 120mm width sleeper.
The main drawbacks of Type-1 composite railway sleepers are their insufficient stiffness, strength, and dynamic qualities, which are frequently incompatible with those of wood.
It's important to just hold the sleepers in position, rather than clamping them, as the saw may bind while cutting. Then set up a saw guide on top of the sleepers, to cut along the length at whatever thickness you'd like the sleeper to be.
Retaining walls and raised beds are just two ways that these unique timber pieces allow you to enhance your garden projects. But the question is – can you lay railway sleepers on soil? The answer is – Yes you can.
Both types should be treated with an exterior wood preservative on all sides prior to installation and paying special attention to any sawn ends. They can then be treated with a clear or coloured decking oil, again preferably on all sides and cut ends prior to installation.
Timberlok screws are an alternative to traditional coach screws and can be used in a number of timber to timber applications. One of the most popular uses for Timberlok screws is fixing timber sleepers together.
A circular saw is the best method for cutting railway sleepers, although a hand saw can be used for softwood sleepers. However a circular saw blade may not completely cut through the thickness of a sleeper in one pass - cut through one side, then turn the sleeper over and recut to finish the job.
The most common tool used for cutting railway sleepers is a chainsaw or a circular saw, although other saws such as reciprocating saws may also be suitable depending on the user's experience level.
When fixing railway sleepers together, use steel landscaping screws as they are strong, won't corrode if they come into contact with timber treatment, and are available up to 250mm in length. With a hexagonal head they can be put in place using a power drill.
Railway Sleeper Retaining Walls, Terraces & Steps
With these kinds of projects, you're definitely going to be needing to use concrete, because once they're in place they're going to be taking a great deal more strain and undergoing much heavier usage than the planters and edging.
How do you secure composite timber sleepers? They can be secured using timber screws or metal stakes. Timber screws are typically used for shorter lengths and garden edging, while metal stakes are used for longer lengths or retaining walls.
Steel sleepers are durable and resilient. They have a span of 35 years. Less damage sustained in these sleepers during handling and transportation. They are resistant to attack of vermin and fire.
Circular Saw
Circular saws are the middle ground between hand saws and chainsaws. They allow you to cut sleepers easily while giving you fine control over the angle and manner of the cut. This makes the circular saw the most popular tool for the job.
If you have an angle grinder or access to one, I suggest using a diamond edge blade rated for cutting masonry. You can also rent a Coates Demolition Saw if you are doing a lot of concrete sleepers.
Unless, of course, you find out you are aren't. An article in the Wall Street Journal is one of many that have recently discussed a group of people called either "super sleepers" or "short sleepers"—people who actually only need fewer than six hours of sleep each night.
It is known that concrete sleepers installed in various places around Australia some decades ago are apparently still performing satisfactorily, so the general assumption that such sleepers should last 50 years or more has received at least anecdotal support.
All of our concrete sleepers use two N12 Reo Bars (short for reinforcing bar) to enhance their strength, durability and resistance to cracking. These bars, with a 12 millimeter diameter, provide increased tensile strength to the sleepers, improving its ability to withstand bending and tension forces.