Installation Guideline
Under Sleeper Pads
for Timber Sleepers
1. Transport and Storageof Under Sleeper Pads (USP)— Always transport in original packaging— Damaged packaging shall be immediately repaired (usingplastic foil and adhesive tape)— Storage should be in a dry environment in original
packaging— Protection from direct sunlight is preferred— Once the original packaging is removed, USP must be
kept dry— Temperatures below -20 °C and above +50 °C should beavoided— Do not stack pallets and parcels— USP are subject to normal thermal expansion/shrinking. This physical effect is completely reversible— Storage conditions (and temperature) should match
installation conditions; in case of big temperature
differences between storage and production area, it’srecommended to condition/temper USP for at least 24 h
— Shelf life of Getzner USP is not limited: if stored correctly,
the USP can stay in storage for years to be installed at
any later point in time.

Timber sleeper

Sylomer®/Sylodyn®
resilient layer

Load distribution layer(optional)

2. Fastening of Under Sleeper Pads
There are various ways to fasten under sleeper pads
on timber sleepers. In the following document twopossibilities are descripted. Additional it is also possible
to glue the pads.
2.1 Fastening with stables
For the staples a minimum size is recommended to ensure
a durable and proper fastening of the pad on the timbersleeper. To avoid effects of corrosion the staples should bemade of stainless steel.
Recommended dimensions of the staples:
Width: 10 - 20 mm
Length: 30 mm
Material: stainless steel

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Installation Guideline
Under Sleeper Pads
for Timber Sleepers

The staples can be applied using a conventional stapling
device.

The staples should be placed with a spacing of 4 to
5 cm between each other.

The staples should be placed around the under sleeper
pad with a distance of 1 cm to the edge.

2Installation Guideline
Under Sleeper Pads
for Timber Sleepers

2.2 Fastening with nails
An alternative to the mentioned staples are nails. To avoid
damage of the material and the protection layer, nails withlarge nail heads should be used.
Recommended dimensions of the nails:
Nail head diameter: mind. 5 mm
Length: mind. 30 mm
Material: stainless steel

Driving the nails into the material has to be performed very
carefully to ensure that the resilient layer is completely
attached to the timber sleeper and not penetrated anddamaged by the nails.
The nails can be applied using a conventional pneumatic
nailing machine.
The nails should not be driven too far into the resilient layer
to avoid damaging it. The spacing between the nails should
not be more than 6 cm.

To ensure a proper fixation of the under sleeper pad in themiddle of the timber sleeper, at least one additional line ofnails should be applied throughout the length of the pad.

3Installation Guideline
Under Sleeper Pads
for Timber Sleepers

3. Storage of Padded Sleepers

4. Transport of Padded Sleepers

Usually padded timber sleepers are stacked on top ofeach other and stored outside.

Attention has to be paid during transportation to avoid
mechanical damage.

The stacking capacity of padded sleepers is generally
limited by the static load limit of the material. The
maximum amount of sleepers to be stacked isdetermined by a laboratory test procedure (accordingto the standard EN 16730).

5. Lifetime and Recycling

At the end of the lifetime of a padded timber sleeper theUSP can be peeled off the sleepers mechanically and bethermally recycled. Unused USP or pieces thereof can berecycled in standard plastics waste containers. All ourmaterials are non-hazardous to the environment.

30+years

Padded sleeper
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AUSTRIA — Bürs GERMANY — Berlin — Munich — Stuttgart FRANCE — Lyon JORDAN — Amman JAPAN — Tokyo
INDIA — Pune CHINA — Beijing USA — Charlotte AUSTRALIA — Melbourne
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HB USP Timber EN © Copyright Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH | 02-2019

Specific values for the maximum number of stacked
sleepers are dependent on the sleeper weight and thesize of the spacer that is used between the sleepers
because both determine the specific load on the elastic
material. The wooden spacers resting on the rail seats
between any two sleepers should be as wide as possible,
a minimum of 100 mm is absolutely required. The exact
amount of sleepers that can be stacked depends on theUSP type and the sleeper type.

USP made from Sylomer® and Sylodyn® materials arelong-lasting elastomers. The lifetime of the USP matches
the lifetime of the sleeper, which means: no USP has to beexchanged prior to the exchange of the sleeper.