January 2017 | www.rtands.com
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
seeking out
Rail Flaws PLUS Handling vegetation 2016 Hay Award Transystems Create P1 and also
AREMA News p.29
Contents January 2017
News
4
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
Features
16
Industry Today 5 Supplier News 9 People
Columns
22
22
Vegetation management New equipment, new herbicides and unique application methods are helping railroads keep their rights-of-way clear of brush.
26
Hay Award: TranSystems The work TranSystems performed as part of the CREATE Program P1 project displays the importance of good design.
sperry rail service
Rail inspection Service providers continue to seek out flaws while assessing overall rail condition for better maintenance planning.
16 Departments 13 TTCI R&D 29 Arema News 36 Calendar 36 Products 37 Advertisers Index
rce
Employees from Herzog Services, Inc., inspecting rail. Story on page 16
3
On Track Hope doesn’t run trains
12
37 Sales Representatives 38 Classified Advertising 39 Professional Directory
NRC Chairman’s Column 2017 is here and the NRC is ready
LIKE US on Facebook
www.rtands.com
transystems
FOLLOW US on Twitter
26
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 1
On Track
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
Vol. 113, No. 1 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Mischa Wanek-Libman/Editor, mischa@sbpub.com Kyra Senese/Assistant Editor, ksenese@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 55 Broad St 26th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr./ President and Chairman Jonathan Chalon/Publisher Mary Conyers/Production Director Wendy Williams/Creative Director Maureen Cooney/Circulation Director Michelle Zolkos/Conference Director
Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Pricing: Qualified individual and railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/ Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2017. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195. For subscriptions and address changes, Please call (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@omeda.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, P.O. Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, P.O. Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135.
www.rtands.com
Hope doesn’t move trains
I
have a giant wall calendar in my office. I mark conferences, meetings and other events on it throughout the year to serve as an easy and, more importantly, quick reference guide that my phone and Outlook calendars have yet to duplicate. The annual change of that calendar provides a mix of accomplishment as I look at the multi-colored scribbles of the year that was and a sense of calm as I put up a fresh clean calendar. This year was different. As I put up my new calendar, I still felt hopeful, but also a bit anxious. I imagine I’m not alone in this feeling as the potential of what the upcoming year could bring is pondered. The rail industry, as a whole, seems tightly wound. We are facing a slew of challenges that have the potential to ease, but to what degree (if any) will not be revealed until later in the year. One issue is lagging traffic. Total rail volume was down five percent in the United States in 2016 and 4.5 percent in North America, according to the Association of American Railroads. I’m beginning to hate the term “macroeconomic,” but those larger global issues caused uncertainty in many aspects of the economy, including manufacturing and energy, which translated into reduced freight traffic. A related casualty of the traffic downturn will be capital expenditures. In the next four to six weeks, a better picture will emerge of what the industry can expect of capex in 2017, but the anticipation is that spending will be down. This may not be entirely bad news as it could provide an opportunity to focus on productivity gains. We all recognize that railroading is a capital-intensive industry and no one believes railroads will just shrug their shoulders and let weeds overtake rights-of-way, bridges crumble or leave crossties to rot in the ground. Maintenance will still be performed and, while there may not be as many
issues surrounding tight work windows as there have been in the past, the focus will still be on efficiency, innovation and productivity of those maintenance practices. Railroads will still want things done quicker and potentially cheaper, but also reliably, accurately and safely. In this issue you’ll find three articles that exemplify the above concept. Rail-flaw detection companies are incorporating more automation into their inspection methods and tackling the challenge of “big data” head-on in order to provide railroads with more rich information about the health of their rails for better planning and maintenance (p. 16). Vegetation management service providers are making brush-fighting equipment that is more versatile and are even capable of applying herbicide via unmanned aerial vehicles (p. 22). The Englewood Flyover, which reached completion in May 2016, required coordination among many different stakeholders in order for the project to become a reality. And that began with innovative and practical project design, which won TranSystems the 2016 Dr. W. W. Hay Award for Excellence (p. 26). Many believe the new administration taking leadership of the country on Jan. 20 could bolster the business environment in general based on promises to install a more coalfriendly energy policy, spend big on infrastructure, take on tax reforms and rollback regulation. But hope in a new administration or a new year doesn’t run trains or maintain railways, action does. What action will you take this year? Wishing a happy and safe 2017 to all.
Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 3
INDUSTRY TODAY Second Ave. Subway opens
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel in Washington, D.C., hosted its first train on Dec. 23., marking the ontime completion of the first phase of the project. The two-phase tunnel project is the final of 61 clearance projects included in the $850-million National Gateway Initiative, which will clear the way for double-stacked intermodal freight to be transported between Mid-Atlantic seaports and the Midwest on CSX’s network. The first CSX freight train passed through the new southern tunnel carrying doublestacked intermodal freight containers between Portsmouth, Va., and North Baltimore, Ohio. Work on the northern tunnel has already begun and CSX expects the entire project to be completed on schedule in mid-2018. The project is replacing an existing tunnel, portions of which were first constructed in 1870, that does not provide sufficient vertical clearance for double-stack intermodal containers and is not wide enough to allow a two-track rail configuration. “Clearing the National Gateway for double-stack freight creates more efficient, more environmentally friendly routes to move the essential goods that fuel today’s economy,” said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the support of our federal and state partners over the past eight years and the commitment of CSX’s shareholders to invest in the company’s future, the double-stack-cleared National Gateway will allow CSX to better meet the needs of consumers and businesses throughout the eastern U.S. for decades to come.” CSX says that when both tunnels are complete, the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project will relieve a significant Mid-Atlantic rail bottleneck that impacts freight and passenger service in the region as the growing volume of rail traffic has consumed the capacity of the existing infrastructure.
CSX
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) celebrated the opening of the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway with an inaugural ride on New Year’s Eve and a party. The project was first proposed in 1929. Phase 1 extended the Q Line through an upgraded and modernized Lexington Avenue-63rd Street Station and built new stations at 96th Street, 86th Street and 72nd Street. Phase 1 is expected to decrease crowding on the Lexington Avenue Line by as much as 13 percent, reduce travel times by 10 minutes between the Upper East Side to the West Side of Manhattan and provide easier access to the Brox, Brooklyn and Queens. When the four phases of the project are complete, service will be extended 8.5 miles and include 16 new stations. The full build out will provide service from 125th Street in Harlem to Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan.
First trains roll through new south Virginia Avenue Tunnel
New grade separation marks 27th completed CREATE project A new grade separation, part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, opened at 25th Avenue over Union Pacific’s line in Bellwood, Ill., on Dec. 22. The $41 million project began in September 2014 and eliminates a conflict point between 52 freight trains, 59 Metra trains and 19,000 vehicles per day. Not only does the grade separation reduce congestion and improve safety, but it also saves 28,400 hours per year of motorist delay and ensures better response times for emergency vehicles. The overpass accommodates two lanes of traffic in each direction over the railroad tracks and included resurfacing Main Street between 25th and 19th avenues. The railroad overpass project was made possible by a 4 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
$22.2 million contribution from Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), $2.4 million from the villages of Bellwood and Melrose Park and $16.4 million from federal, railroad and other state sources. The $4.4-billion CREATE Program is a public-private partnership between IDOT, the Chicago Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, freight and passenger railroads. It comprises 70 rail and highway improvements, 27 of which are complete, that are designed to improve the regional transportation network. “This new overpass pays immediate dividends for communities nearby, but its impact will be felt for years throughout the region,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. www.rtands.com
INDUSTRY TODAY NCDOT helps kick off North Carolina & Virginia rail improvement project A groundbreaking ceremony was held Dec. 12 to celebrate improvements along a 52-mile rail corridor that will allow for the transport of 286,000-pound cars. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) hosted the groundbreaking for the North Carolina & Virginia Railroad (NCVA) project. The NCVA is a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., and runs between Boykins, Va., where it interchanges with CSX to east of Tunis, N.C. Its largest customer is Nucor Steel plate mill at Cofield, N.C. The railroad is operating at 10 mph over much of its line and is only able to load cars to 270,000 pounds gross weight. This project will allow NCVA to ship rail cars loaded to 286,000 pounds gross weight, reducing the amount of goods that need to be shipped by truck on U.S. 158 and other area roadways. Approximately 17.5 miles of new rail will be installed, crossties and eight main line turnouts will be replaced, four grade crossings will be rehabilitated
www.rtands.com
and approximately 30 miles of roadbed will be surfaced. The ceremony, held at Nucor Steel in Hertford County, highlighted how the improvements support industries in the region. “More than 60 percent of the Nucor plant’s annual production ships by rail, which means the upgrading of this line is critical to their operations and their continued ability to compete in today’s global market and support the economy of this area,” Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson said. “Thanks to this project, NCVA will be able to ship heavier loaded rail cars at faster speeds, which is key to serving industries based here and opening the door to new economic opportunities for this region.” The $11.6 million project is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2019. NCDOT secured half of the funding, $5.8 million, through a 2014 federal grant from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program. The balance of the cost is covered by an investment of $3 million from NCVA and $2.8 million of state funds.
Supplier News DBi Services acquired the assets of Mercier’s Inc. Harsco Rail announced new sales of its track grinders throughout North America for service in contract rail grinding programs. Harsco Rail and RailWorks Maintenance of Way, Inc., formed a partnership in 2015 to provide grinding services to Class 1 customers. The services are led by RailWorks operating personnel who utilize technical support from Harsco as needed.
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 5
INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Sound Transit awarded Hoffman Construction Company a contract to build its Roosevelt Station in early 2017. Modjeski and Masters received an engineering contract for the replacement of old portions of Metro Transit’s Union Station Tunnel. Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. will be the design-build contractor for the G3 Terminal Vancouver project.
6 Railway Track & Structures
Ground broken for PANYNJ, GCT USA ExpressRail Port Jersey facility GCT USA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) broke ground on the ExpressRail Port Jersey facility (“Greenville Yard”), which will be a major ship-to-rail port project located directly adjacent to the recently expanded, state-of-the-art GCT Bayonne container terminal. PANYNJ says the project will complete the agency’s more than $600 million initiative that establishes direct access to on-dock or near-dock rail service for all of its major marine terminals. The intermodal facility is scheduled to be complete in mid-2018 and will feature 9,600 feet of track serviced by high-efficiency, electric cantilevered rail-mounted gantry cranes featuring LED lighting. PANYNJ and GCT USA estimate that the impact of the facility will include the elimination of 375,000 trucks per year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 18,300 tons annually. Construction costs for the GCT Bayonne near-dock intermodal facility are supported
January 2017
by a $56 million investment from PANYNJ. The Cargo Facility Charge, a per-container fee assessed on cargo shipped through PANYNJ to cover the costs of critical road, rail and security infrastructure projects is funding the project. PANYNJ recently approved its 2017 capital and operating budget, which includes $153 million for port development projects. More than $36 million of the 2017 capital budget is flagged for the Greenville Yard project. “As the port business continues to grow with the arrival of new, lower emissions, larger ships, it’s critical that we invest in projects to deal with the increase in cargo in a sustainable way, maintaining our quality of life,” said PANYNJ Executive Director Pat Foye. “This project will not only expedite the movement of cargo through the region, but will take hundreds of thousands of truck trips off the road annually, providing a significant environmental benefit to the region.”
www.rtands.com
INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Railtech MATWELD has officially finalized its merger with Railtech Boutet and is conducting business as Railtech Boutet. The changes went into effect with the start of 2017. Valley Metro Rail’s board of directors approved a contract with tantec Consulting Services, Inc., for Tempe Streetcar design services. Vossloh completed the acquisition of Rocla Concrete Tie. It will operate as Vossloh Ties Technologies.
Transit projects in three states receive more than $4B in federal funding The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has committed $4.08 billion in grants and loans to rail transit projects in Seattle, Los Angeles and Fort Worth, Texas. Sound Transit secured $1.99 billion in Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans to support three light-rail extensions and a maintenance facility. Sound Transit plans to use $615.3 million to build the Northgate Link extension, $657.9 million to build the Lynnwood Link extension, $629.5 million to build the Federal Way Link extension and $87.7 million to build the new Operations and Maintenance Facility. Sound Transit estimates that the TIFIA loans will provide long-term savings of between $200 million and $300 million for regional taxpayers. The $200 million to $300 million of savings are forecasted to accrue over the 35-year lives of the loans and are in relation to the borrowing costs assumed in Sound Transit’s financial plan. In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(LACMTA) $1.6 billion in federal loans and grants for the second phase of the Westside Purple Line Extension, which will build 2.3 miles of rail and add two new stations at Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City/Constellation. LACMTA’s funds consist of a construction grant agreement for $1.187 billion through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program, a TIFIA loan agreement for up to $307 million and $169 million through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program. In Texas, FTA agreed to provide $499 million through its CIG program to Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) to build TEX Rail, a commuter rail line between downtown Fort Worth and the Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport. The 26.8-mile commuter rail line will serve downtown Fort Worth, the city of Grapevine and DFW Airport. The project will also provide connections to other local transportation services, including the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail system, Amtrak, Trinity Railway Express and the FWTA bus system.
Union Pacific performs bridge work in Oregon, Louisiana
union pacific
Union Pacific crews were busy with bridge projects on two coasts with the Class 1 installing a new bridge in Bayou Lafourche and replacing the electrical system on the Portland Steel Bridge. UP said the replacing the Portland Steel Bridge’s electrical system will improve lift bridge redundancies and enhance electrical system access for bridge maintenance staff. The Class 1 says it worked with the U.S. Coast Guard and other Willamette-River stakeholders to plan the 10-day closure that representatives say will solely affect river traffic, while all other transportation modes
Portland Steel Bridge was built in 1912 and will undergo an electrical system replacement.
8 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
across the Steel Bridge are expected to remain in operation during the work. The project is expected to be complete by Jan. 18. In Louisiana, UP’s new 102-foot steel bridge in Donaldsonville is a key element in the state’s efforts to reintroduce freshwater from the Mississippi River into Bayou Lafourche. The original crossing was made up of box culverts that limited the amount of water that could pass through in the levee. The project is part of a multiorganizational partnership led by the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District (BLFWD). BLFWD explains that allowing more fresh water into the bayou combats saltwater intrusion and prevents further wetland loss in lower Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. Union Pacific began construction on the project in early August. At the time the project began, Drew Tessier, director of public affairs with UP said, “While the existing crossing meets Union Pacific’s operational needs, the project aligns with the company’s environmental commitment. Union Pacific’s engineers designed a bridge structure that meets the needs of the BLFWD and the company’s operational demands.”
www.rtands.com
PEOPLE Ron Martin joined ADvanced Rail Systems as vice president sales and marketing. Martin Klepper was appointed to serve as executive director for the United States Department of Transportation’s newly formed
Build America Bureau.
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited appointed Jane L. Peverett to its board of directors, effective Dec. 13. Luis Casado, PE, joined global infrastructure firm Gannett Fleming as its new southeast region director and senior vice president.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast announced plans to retire in early 2017. Shortline operator Rio Grande Pacific Corp. promoted Anthony Pacetti to serve as its new director of customer service in Ft. Worth, Texas. President Obama nominated Ann Begeman to serve another five-year term for the
Surface Transportation Board on Dec. 7. The Texas Central Partners, LLC, board of directors appointed Carlos F. Aguilar as the new CEO of Texas Central and its subsidiaries, effective Dec. 12.
WSP | Parsons BrinckerhofF named Michael Harris-Gifford as a senior principal technical specialist for the organization’s Orange, Calif., office. Michael S. Venter was also appointed to the role of assistant vice president and senior engineering manager for the New York City office. Obituaries Art Lloyd, a long-time board member of the San Mateo County Transit District and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board that oversees Caltrain, died Dec. 4 at age 91. Shortline executive David L. Parkinson, 78, died Dec. 17 in Palm Desert, Calif., after a brief illness. Parkinson was known for serving as founder and chairman of the Arizona & California and the California Northern railroads.
www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 9
NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN
2017 is here, and the NRC is ready
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association, Inc. 500 New Jersey Ave., N. W. Suite 400 Washington D. C. 20009 Tel: 202-715-2920 Fax: 202-318-0867 www.nrcma.org info@nrcma.org
12 Railway Track & Structures
With big changes happening in Washington, D.C. and the Trump administration taking office, I am cautiously optimistic about the future of the railroad constr uction and maintenance industry. The new administration has emphasized they want to eliminate and reform wasteful regulations, invest in deteriorating infrastructure and lower the business tax rate. These policies would increase the volume of work available for the rail contracting industry. As the new administration addresses these issues, the NRC will work for our members’ best interests. We will fight to ensure all federal and state funds used for rail construction and maintenance work be competitively bid out so taxpayer money is spent as fiscally responsibly as possible. That would be a big change in business for many rail transit agencies, commuter railroads and state DOTs. We will also be supporting extending the shortline railroad rehabilitation Section 45G tax credits, maintaining the current balanced freight rail economic regulatory environment at the Surface Transportation Board, resisting any increase to the maximum allowable size and weight of trucks, rolling back overreaching regulations such as the Part 243 Minimum Training Standards rule and increasing funding of rail and transit infrastructure projects through programs such as TIGER, FASTLANE, CRISI, New Starts, RRIF and TIFIA. In late 2016, the NRC held its annual Board of Directors elections. With five board seats open, we were blessed to receive 17 highly qualified nominees. The Nominating Committee recommended a fantastic slate of candidates to the membership, and the results of this year’s election b r o u g h t u s t h r e e n e w a n d t wo re-elected board members as follows:
January 2017
Returning board members: • N a t e H e n d e r s o n - c h i e f commercial officer, R.J. Corman Railroad Group • J o d y S i m s - b u s i n e s s development manager, Stacy and Witbeck (incumbent) New board members: • Dave Bergstrom - vice president Rail, Ragnar Benson • D a n n y B r o w n - r a i l r o a d development manager, V&H Trucks • Kevin Riddett - president and CEO, RailWorks Corporation I would like to congratulate the elected board members and also thank those willing to serve. I look forward to working with the board and the membership in 2017. I’d also like to thank the Nominating Committee for its hard work and thoughtful selections. The NRC kicked 2017 off with our annual conference at the Boca Raton Resor t. I would like to thank the speakers, attendees and exhibitors that make this conference the industry’s premiere event, in my humble opinion. I would also like to thank Urszula Soucie and the REMSA staff for again putting on a fantastic exhibit and Chuck Baker, Matt Bell, Lindsey Collins, Matt Ginsberg, Will Resch and the entire NRC staff for running the conference so smoothly every year. As we look ahead into 2017, save the date for Railroad Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 2, the ASLRRA annual conference in Dallas April 22-25, and the 2017 NRC Rail Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction (date/ location TBD). You can always find the latest at www.nrcma.org. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and has a safe and successful month. by Chris Daloisio, NRC Chairman
www.rtands.com
TTCI R&D Testing of: a prototype flangebearing derail design Derails, or derailers, are a vital component of railroad safety and have become a standard feature across the freight and transit rail industry. Current derail design, however, is not without limitations. by Ben Bakkum, senior engineer II; Rafael Jimenez, senior engineer I; Duane Otter, PE
T
ransportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), designed and evaluated a prototype flangebearing design for a low cost, highly reliable derail at the Facility for Accelerated Ser vice Testing (FAST) in Pueblo, Colo. The prototype design attempts to address issues with derails used in the industry today and is a departure from typical derail designs in that the prototype is entirely flange-bearing. This feature permits the design to raise the vehicle a shorter distance; thus requiring less work to derail a vehicle. The results of the prototype flange-bearing design have been very promising. The changes in derail design reduce the ver tical impact loading from the car striking the derail and require substantially less crowding (diverging) force as a result of the derail bearing on the backside of the flange only. Traditional low-cost derail design practice has been to provide a ramp on which the wheel tread climbs
Figure 1, top, displays the flange-bearing prototype derail from a gauge view. Figure 2, bottom, shows the prototype from a side view.
www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 13
TTCI R&D instances, the derail will shatter during a high force impact or as a result of a steep striking angle, thus failing to divert the wheels at all and allowing the rolling stock to continue moving unimpeded.
Design prototype
Figure 3 shows the prototype flange-bearing derail with a railcar passing over it at a speed of 4 mph.
paired with a crowder device to force the flange away from the rail, resulting in loss of wheel/rail contact, and subsequently, the derailment of the wheelset. This design, however, causes impact loading at the interface where the wheel tread meets the ramp of the derailing device. The impacts can cause wheel unloading and the loss of ability to steer the wheelset off of the track. Typically, a derail will f ail in one of two ways. First, it may fail 14 Railway Track & Structures
materially, i.e., the structure of the derail (especially its connection to the track) fails—often following a large impact loading. Secondly, given the right conditions, rolling stock will jump or climb over the derail rather than being diverted off of the rails. This latter failure mode is due to insufficient control of, or diverting of, the wheelset. Steep vertical slopes can cause the wheels to unload vertically (i.e., jump over the derail). This makes diverting the wheel laterally nearly impossible. In some
January 2017
TTCI developed the prototype flangebearing derail design to address the issues with current derail models. Considering the typical failure modes of traditional derailing devices, a change to the primar y derailing mechanism was proposed— rather than use a ramp to elevate the tread of the wheel and then divert the wheelset flange, make the flange become the load bearing surface. This was done by using an angled plate that enabled the wheelset to become entirely flange-bearing as it traveled in the direction of the derail. After the wheelset became flangebearing, a built-in crowder was used to guide the wheelset off the rail. Figure 1, shown on page 13, shows the prototype flange-bearing derail tested at FAST. The prototype design shown in Figures 1 and 2, also shown on page 13, was constructed to facilitate ease of installation and removal during testing. It would have to be further refined and optimized (less material and operable throw mechanism) before being used in a revenue service environment. The goal of this prototype fixture was to prove that the concept of a flange-bearing derail would perform adequately. The prototype design has several advantages, and it could potentially eliminate impact loading from the contact point between derail and wheelset. The flangebearing plate functions in a similar manner to a switchpoint in that the wheel rides up the plate. The built-in crowder removes the need for a separate crowding device and eliminates additional material and the equipment that is typically required to derail a car.
Field tests
Field tests of the prototype derail were conducted at FAST using two openwww.rtands.com
top hopper cars—one loaded and one empty. Along with the prototype, a common standard crowder/slider derail was tested for comparison purposes. The derails were tested at two different speeds: 4 mph and 10 mph with both cars. The angle of attack of the leading wheelset was also altered to create a worst-case scenario for derailing. Cars derailed at 4 mph were pushed by the locomotive unit as one train; while at 10 mph the cars were pushed individually in the direction of the derail. Instrumentation attached to the leading truck of the car gathered data on accelerations and displacements as the car struck the derail. Simultaneously, wayside instrumentation collected data on the displacement of the rails at the location of the derail during the same event. Figure 3, featured on page 14, shows the prototype flange-bearing derail and the railcar passing over. Profile measurements were taken of all four wheels on both cars to document the condition of the wheels used during testing. In an attempt to keep the data consistent, special consideration for the speed at impact had to be made. Every effort was taken to ensure that the car struck each derail as close to the specified speed as possible. Speed measurements were made using the locomotive’s speedometer and a handheld radar gun.
Field test results
Figure 4, top right, shows the measured leading truck accelerations for a loaded and empty car over each derail. Shown are the maximum accelerations for each sideframe in the lateral (x), longitudinal (y) and vertical (z) directions. The TTCI prototype flange-bearing derail created accelerations effects lower than standard derails at 4 mph and 10 mph in the loaded and empty cars. The traditional derail created higher accelerations due to the impact loading experienced as the wheel struck the derail ramp. The prototype derail was broken during the last test run at 10 mph with the loaded car. This caused a spike in the acceleration data in the vertical direction and skewed the data point for the prototype www.rtands.com
Figure 4,top, shows the average acceleration at 10 mph derailment. Figure 5, below, shows the average lateral displacement of running rails at 10 mph derailment.
as noted in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows measured rail displacements for each derail during loaded and empty car tests at 10 mph. The TTCI prototype flangebearing derail’s lower lateral rail movement is an improvement over traditional designs. When installed using a similar throw mechanism, as opposed to being bolted to the rail, the prototype flangebearing derail should result in even lower lateral movements.
Conclusion
The prototype test results indicate that the flange-bearing derail concept is a viable alternative to traditional derail designs. The design requires less equipment and material to accomplish the same task as traditional derails in use today. TTCI would also like to conduct derail tests at speeds greater than 10 mph to study the performance at speeds higher than what is typical.
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 15
rail inspection:
scanning for defects by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
Rail inspection service providers are focused on diagnosing overall rail condition to aid railroads in their asset management initiatives.
W
hile companies involved in rail inspection remain focused on more accurately finding defects, they are also committed to maximizing their equipment uptime and making sure their people are well trained in order to not just find rail flaws, but to provide railroads with an overall understanding of total rail health.
Sperry Rail
Sperry Rail Service says 2016 was a dynamic year for rail-flaw detection as it observed a steep change in the industry. The company points to decreased traffic, regulatory changes and a new focus on rail surface as drivers behind the development of new technologies and significant improvements to existing ones in order to make client networks more efficient and safe. In 2016, Sperry launched its Adaptive Test System (ATS), which is deployed via a carriage that can fit on any gauge of track and was designed to advance the company’s 1900 test system. “We deploy the system in a small pod fit to the client’s vehicle, giving 16 Railway Track & Structures
our global clients a cost-effective method to deploy best-in-class technology,” said Simon Broomhead, Sperry’s director of engineering. Robert DiMatteo, Sperry’s director of global business development, notes the ATS’ flexibility as it can be used in a variety of operating environments and can be fitted with additional technology, such as Sperry’s Surface Crack Detection System, which will be deployed in North America in early 2017. “We are working towards a launch of a new crushed head detection system that, when combined with our Surface Crack Detection System, will play a key role in collecting and managing surface information that will play a critical role in our customer’s maintenance decisions” said Jaime O’Rourke, president of Sperry. Sperry’s focus on comprehensive Rail Health® uses the company’s full suite of technologies to move toward a datadriven, predictive model of maintenance. Sperry developed its Rail Health® initiative to function as a balancing point between partnering with its clients to aid in the safe and efficient operation of their
January 2017
Sperry’s ATS is deployed by a carriage that can fit any gauge of track.
railways without increasing the burden with excess data or information that is not useful. The company says its sensor and software development continues to be at the forefront of its approach to advancing rail-flaw detection and integrating “big data” into a holistic approach to infrastructure management. More data is being produced as Sperry continues its non-stop continuous testing regime, which currently makes up about 20 percent of its North American business. Sperry recognizes the speed and working environment of non-stop testing relies more heavily on automated systems and the company is focused on ensuring those automated functions serve as enhancements to data collectors and analysts rather than hindrances. Sperry has shifted the job analysis to an offsite location where the data is reviewed by an independent team. The company has also focused on integration www.rtands.com
rail inspection of ‘Internet of Things’ products, such as building in integrity monitors for its test systems and combining this with engine and truck management to provide realtime monitors for Sperry operations and support teams to improve reliability and system uptime. Sperry says creating secure and flexible remote access has enabled the company to deliver the Rail Health® data to the point of need at the time it is needed. “I am pleased to be working with our clients as partners, testing new processes and technologies to advance our fundamental value of safety to the railways,” said O’Rourke. “2017 will be a dynamic year for Sperry. Advancing rail-flaw detection beyond just ultrasonics is the critical pathway to incorporating multiple data streams into real usable information to our clients. Sperry’s commitment to the global railroad customers remains unchanged, providing the latest products and services aimed at driving safety and efficiency to our valued clients.”
Herzog Services, Inc., has accumulated more than 3 million man-hours without a lost-time injury.
Nordco
“During 2016 we continued to focus on developing enhanced defect detection capabilities, data management services, improving testing equipment up-time and continuously improving the capabilities of our chief operators,” said Ken Kaszubinski, vice president - Inspection Technologies, Nordco Inc. Kaszubinski isn’t ready to reveal details of a still being developed enhanced defect detection method that he calls groundbreaking, but did say the method will allow Nordco to find defects under shelling and early test results show promise. While Nordco focuses on investing in new technology, it recognizes the need to invest in its employees, as well. The company built a new training center at its Rail Inspection Service offices in Beacon Falls, Conn., complete with a training simulator. Nordco also adopted a Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) strategy in 2016 for detector car maintenance. Kaszubinski explains that RCM is common in aviation, military and other fleet applications, but is a new practice for detector car maintenance. “[RCM] helps ensure that critical components are not run to failure but replaced based on their estimated useful life,” he said. 18 Railway Track & Structures
Kaszubinski notes that data is only as good as your ability to identify trends and turn the data into actionable information. “We are leveraging the development of the Nordco SmartHub and our close customer relationships to build predictive analytics for our customers that can help them identify hot spots in their rail before a defect grows and causes a service failure,” he said. Nordco SmartHub, a centralized online data management service is equipped with base-level predictive analytics to spot trends or hot spots in rail. Kaszubinski says SmartHub allows customers near real time viewing of testing information, defect cataloging, map overlaying of defects and comparative historical run-overrun defect information.
Herzog Services, Inc.
Herzog Services, Inc. (HSI), is focused on key projects to position itself as a reliable and safe provider of rail-flaw detection services. Trey Rowe, HSI’s director of safety, notes that the company has accrued more than 3 million man-hours during the past 19 years without a losttime injury and has not had a recordable injury in the previous two years.
January 2017
HSI is developing a long-term project aimed at delivering key statistical insights to customers through its tape database. Tim Coolman, R&D software manager, notes that working with clients in the development phase of the project is providing valuable information, which will allow HSI to address foreseeable customer specific requirements and requests. On the equipment side of things, HSI introduced its UTV-based testing system in 2015, Series 4000, for use in yards and other areas with difficult access points. Series 4000 units will deploy this year with dual Roller Search Unit platforms to provide the UTV-based testing systems the same probe configuration as the company’s full-sized units. Andy White, R&D manager, mentioned, “The dual configuration incorporates our proven V30 Under Shell Detection technology for defects emanating from shelling or delamination within the rail head.” HSI says its 20/20 Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) rail testing platform has been successfully operating under revenue service for more than a year. HSI explains that PAUT delays the pulse timing to alter the angle and shape of the sound beam entering the rail, making it useful to correct for varying rail head profiles encountered during rail testing. Coolman added, “The pattern recognition for 20/20 is continually expanding. We’ve applied new algorithms that greatly reduced false and irrelevant calls, while also improving the accuracy of detecting defects through pattern recognition.” HSI plans to introduce the Series 7000 in 2017 and says the platform contains the next generation software and hardware components needed to take advantage of smaller, more powerful technology. Based on the same software as the 20/20 PAUT system, HSI says it will contain all the advances in pattern recognition software and improved signal processing developed with the phased array system. Additionally, HSI will implement new technology to introduce automatic visual inspection systems in conjunction with ultrasonic rail inspection. This is in order to deliver photographic records of the track around flaws that were detected by ultrasound inspection. HSI plans to mount cameras to the truck allowing images to be registered in synchronizawww.rtands.com
rail inspection tion with ultrasonic responses and presented to the operator for a more conducive inspection of the rail. Beyond the simple photographic record, HSI says it is interested in a computer vision system that automates certain visual inspection tasks such as automatically measuring the depth of crushed heads and squats to provide customers with another level of detail and offering more value to its services. Troy Elbert, president of HSI said, “By focusing our resources in key existing projects internally and connecting with reputable technology companies that are leaders in proven technology, we are looking to strategically position ourselves for long-term growth.”
L.B. Foster Salient Systems
Per Mike Hudson, general manager, L.B. Foster Salient Systems, “An increasing number of rail operators, including both freight railroads, as well as transit agencies, recognize the need to better understand and manage thermal stresses inherent in continuous welded rail (CWR) structures, which
20 Railway Track & Structures
is leading to growing demand for our Rail Stress Monitor™ (RSM™). They see the benefits of a robust rail neutral temperature (RNT) management program to predict and mitigate either rail buckle (sun kink) or rail break conditions, which allows them to improve the safety and efficiency of their rail operations.” Hudson continued, “Deployment of the RSM can become a critical part of a rail operator’s asset management program in many ways. For example, by providing an accurate measurement of RNT when rail is destressed, quality assurance measures can be verified at the beginning, middle and end of rail life cycles. Proper RNT management throughout the life cycle of a given section of track via the use of the RSM is enhanced as conditions change due to seasonal variations, repair activities or structural changes that may be made to the track infrastructure. Rail buckle warning, as well as broken rail indicators, provide opportunities for operational and repair decisions to be imple-
January 2017
mented before potentially catastrophic damage can occur.” “Most of our activities in 2016 were focused on improving communications links between the rail-mounted RSM sensors and the back office user,” said Hudson. “We also continued to enhance data handling and analytics capabilities to support decision making on a real-time basis,” he added. Awareness of the company’s RSM technology continued to grow internationally, particularly in the Far East. According to Hudson, “We see growing interest from countries with highly concentrated passenger rail systems. The use of continuous, real-time monitoring of longitudinal stresses in highspeed rail networks will become a key enabler in the transition from timebased to condition-based maintenance activities. And in addition to opportunities in the Far East, we are seeing activity pick up in some of the developing economies in the world where safe, reliable passenger rail transportation is becoming much more important.”
www.rtands.com
staying in control of wandering weeds
Dow AgroSciences launched two new herbicides for the industrial vegetation management market in 2016.
Manufacturers emphasize the need to manage growth early and often and weigh in on improvements to the latest technology in vegetation control. by Kyra Senese, assistant editor
S
ervice providers and suppliers have revamped their lineups and introduced new offerings throughout the past year to bring the latest technology to the market, reducing track time and possibly enhancing safety for workers managing vegetation moving forward.
Asplundh
Asplundh’s hi-rail eco flex cutter is in full operational service, offering a 30-foot reach and the ability to cut both sides in a single pass. The cutter is compatible with four cutter heads (flail; rotary; saw blade; mulching) capable of handling brush and trees at up to a 14-inch diameter. The heads can simultaneously apply herbicide to the cut brush stubble to avoid the need for follow-up spraying. The tool can also cut below grade down to 15 feet for cutting weeds and brush under bridges, and the company says it has the highest reach for clearing signal sight distances than any comparable machine. The tool’s hi-rail flexibility offers railroads the ability to address “hot spot” areas that require immediate brush cutting. The cutter can be dispatched to a specific area to clear out a problem and move on to another area, reducing the overall track time by more than 20 percent compared to conventional rail-bound equipment. Asplundh also offers a fully operational hi-rail sky trimmer. The tool’s 75-foot reach and 360-degree saw rotation allows trees to be trimmed from any angle. The unit is self-propelled from the operators’ cab, and the hi-rail flexibility allows for 22 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
dispatching to troublesome areas to clear signal sight lines or heavy overhang and can quickly move on to other areas. Asplundh’s railroad division has also shared plans to take to the air in 2017 with several aerial devices designed for high production and zero track time. The company says its new heavy lift unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will offer the ability to make chemical applications in remote locations where vehicle access is limited or unavailable. Pre-programmed flight plans slightly above the vegetation height allows the unit to instantly spray road crossing quadrants from 300–1,500 feet or noxious weeds to the width of the property. The UAV’s onboard camera provides a video of the application and crossing vegetation. Yard tracks in busy terminals, wide areas and material piles can also be treated without the need to “lock out” individual tracks for a hirail, and bridges can be sprayed easily. The company also says the unit can treat up to 30 acres with one battery charging. Asplundh’s railroad division also offers aerial tree trimming using a specially designed airborne trimmer, which does not require track time. The airborne trimmer is capable of working in rugged or swampy areas where ground crews have limited access to the ROW. The company says its 10-blade saw cluster easily removes heavy overhanging brush, leaving a groundto-sky view of the ROW. The aerial trimmer is also capable of providing chemical side trimming for a complete job. Asplundh says it has made major improvements to its spray train fleet to improve efficiency. The spray cars now include www.rtands.com
vegetation management full GPS tracking and mapping of the application areas using its automated vehicle monitoring system (AVMS). With the addition of multi compartment tank cars, the spray trains can spray roadbed and brush formulations in a single pass, eliminating the need for another brush spray later in the season. Railroads currently using this equipment employ a seven day per week spray schedule without the use of maintenance-ofway employees to pilot the equipment. The spray output is computer controlled and adjusts for speeds up to 30 mph. The equipment can spray 100-300 miles in a 12-hour crew day without interruptions for mixing. Traveling at such speeds allows the spray train to run along the flow of train traffic, minimizing impacts on revenue trains. Asplundh says these features result in an average of an 80-percent reduction in track time compared to hi-rail spray trucks.
Brandt Road Rail
Brandt Road Rail Corp. introduced a 36-inch brush cutter on its hi-rail backhoe the RTB130 in 2016, and the company says customers have been using the product for brush cutting on and off track and around crossings. “The production with this unit has been impressive as it is assisted by our exclusive Hi-Flow hydraulic system,” said Shaun Gettis, sales manager Brandt Road Rail, adding that customers are looking for reliability and increased production. “Brush cutting is a never-ending job for many railways,” Gettis said. “Although some budgets have been cut in many
www.rtands.com
operations, we are still seeing positive uptake on the product. We are looking forward to 2017 and continuing to deliver value to our customers.”
Dow AgroSciences
In 2016, Dow AgroSciences launched two new herbicides in the industrial vegetation management market: Vastlan™ specialty herbicide and Cleantraxx™ herbicide. The company says Vastlan’s introduction has been successful and the marketplace embraced the idea of a 4-pound a.e./gallon, high-load formulation of triclopyr intended to significantly lower odor and reduce container handling. Homer Deckard, railroad vegetation control specialist for Dow AgroSciences, emphasized a benefit to railway vegetation managers is that it carries a “Warning” signal word—a decrease from the “Danger” signal carried by generic 3-pound a.e./gallon triclopyr formulations. The launch of Cleantraxx™ herbicide later in 2016 has also seen success. The introduction stirred interest among vegetation managers by bringing two new modes of action to use for weed control, Deckard says, adding that railway vegetation managers appreciate that the product offers both pre- and post-emergence control of weeds with season-long residual control. “If we use the same herbicides year after year, weed resistance is inevitable,” Deckard said. “By rotating modes of action, we can preserve the efficacy of the herbicides we have for many years to come.”
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 23
vegetation management Dow AgroSciences has also been working to identify a “silver bullet” for kochia control. The company conducted university tests and commercial applications using Spike® 80DF specialty herbicide. Deckard says the positive test results are exciting because the company is receiving a lot of inquiries about control of kochia, though weeds such as Russian thistle, Italian ryegrass, Bermuda grass, members of the pigweed family and crabgrass have also proven problematic recently. Deckard says reducing weed resistance remains the primary issue in vegetation control in the market. “We encourage vegetation managers to be good stewards and rotate their herbicide programs, instead of repeating the same prescriptions year after year,” he explained. “It’s important to look past the dollar figure and consider the most effective application for your situation, as it will more than likely end up being more economical in the end when you factor in the extra years of control and not furthering resistance issues.” Vegetation management plans continue to be driven by cost. However, Deckard says some situations call for a solution that may not be the least expensive, but will provide the most value because of how effective it is long-term. “A good vegetation manager understands the delicate balance between managing costs and getting results,” Deckard said. Dow AgroSciences believes there are great things to come soon in terms of mitigating weed resistance and controlling problem weed species. “We have many solutions for these issues in this everchanging marketplace,” Deckard said. “Currently, our focus lies on continuing the success of Vastlan and Cleantraxx, as well as evaluating new opportunities.”
Dymax
Dymax, Inc., introduced several new products throughout the past year, including the MP Series Rail Rider hydro static-drive rail carts and new models of the Dymax tree shears, limb shears and brush cutters. The company says it has received many requests for mechanized methods of vegetation control in areas that cannot be accessed by traditional equipment, which Dymax says was a driving force in the development of the company’s Rail Rider MP machines. “The more mechanized we can make the equipment, the safer it is,” said Scott Balderson, president, Dymax, Inc. Dymax is also examining the use of horizontal mulching tools and considering adding of the tools to its lineup of vegetation control attachments. The company says efficiency is driving demand, even as the general demand fell last year. “The fact that the future economy is up for grabs makes it difficult to plan for 2017. Nonetheless, we are hopeful there will be some uptick in spending on equipment for maintenance, especially in vegetation control,” Balderson said of the coming year. “So much remains to be seen of the new administration’s plans for infrastructure spending that it is difficult to forecast for the year ahead. We know that maintenance of track and vegetation control will continue to be high priorities and we believe this will be a positive factor.”
NMC Railway Systems
NMC Railway Systems is continuing to expand its line of hirail equipment to combat remote vegetation growth and han24 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
dle other maintenance-of-way projects. NMC added the Huddig Hi-Rail Backhoe to its lineup, and the system includes a specialized articulating center pivot system that allows the machine to operate multiple attachments. One of the company’s most popular pieces of equipment is the CHX20E Hi-Rail Excavator, said Mark Anderson, NMC railway system sales manager. The 320-sized model allows railroads and contractors to use multiple tool functionality, including brush cutters available at 36 inches in diameter. When paired with a Rototilt, the operator can rotate the attachment head 360 degrees, allowing for full maintenance of vegetation overgrowth. NMC’s hi-rail equipment models allow users to determine what attachment to use based on their needs. Using one machine with multiple attachments provides the rail crew increased efficiency and productivity, especially for vegetation control, Anderson explained. He says the trend and demand for hi-rail equipment continues to rise, and operators want the flexibility to reach remote track lines and switch attachments easily. Managing growth early and often is key to keeping track lines clear and using hi-rail equipment can enable operators to reach remote track lines several times per year to efficiently manage brush overgrowth. Anderson says NMC is driving business growth through increasing the company’s hi-rail equipment rental inventory to meet demands for spot vegetation growth management. Utilizing rental hi-rail equipment allows rail maintenance crews access to the equipment they need on either a short or long-term basis to combat multiple maintenance-of-way projects. Anderson said the CHX20E Hi-Rail Excavator, which saw success in 2015, also remains a popular piece of equipment utilized to manage overgrowth with a brush cutter attachment. NMC plans to continue engineering and providing new innovations and service for the railroad industry in 2017, Anderson says. “NMC is dedicated to providing the best overall support and products to keep rail lines in top working order,” he said.
Progress Rail
Progress Rail’s SkyTrim 75HRT (Hi-Rail Truck) trimmer went into service about 16 months ago and has received positive feedback from customers for its performance and production while working at several different railroad and transit locations. The company says its maintenance-ofway team has observed interest in the product model, and Progress Rail anticipates additional interest in 2017. The company says its 75-foot unit offers flexibility and ease of operation during work and also when moving from site to site. “The ability to move the unit under its own power and not with the assistance of a third party is essential to efficient and low-cost operation,” the company said.
RCE
Rail Construction Equipment Co. (RCE) says it has had great response from not only railroad customers, but also the rail contractor sector to the company’s line of hi-rail excavator-mounted brush cutters. Sales Manager Dennis Hanke says much of the feedback from customers has focused on www.rtands.com
the versatility RCE’s hi-rail excavators have given them, increasing users’ ability to meet brush cutting requirements. The company says being able to cut brush while on or off track has increased use of the equipment while reducing the effects on train traffic schedules. “We have been focused on increasing the number of machines out in the field, as well as those in our rental fleet,” Hanke said. RCE offers a dedicated on-track brush cutter as well that utilizes an excavator with a permanent on-track lower frame. RCE has also recorded an upturn in the number of machines that have been requested to handle brush cutting, Hanke added. “With the never ending need for vegetation control we have found that the time of the year that this is addressed will drastically effect the production that can be achieved,” Hanke said. “Fall and winter months definitely allow for greater production due to the increased visibility with less foliage.” He says the demand seems to have been greater in 2016, and the company’s outlook based on discussions with customers looks similar for 2017.
Supertrak
Supertrak has introduced what it describes as “an industry first product line of high performance power packs” for excavators called Supertrak SK350PP Power Packs. The company has developed several custom-built mulching tractors and wheeled product lines throughout the years and has worked to evolve with the industry to offer maximum horsepower in small packages. The company also launched a new line of Tier 4 power packs to fit tracked excavators weighing 12–30 tons. The power packs range from 140 to 450 hp, depending on excavator base carriers. The new SK350PP is designed to match equal weight of traditional standard counterweight for ease of machine transportation and is equipped with a Cat C9.3 Tier 4 engine, which delivers 100 gpm at 5,500 psi for tools such as undercutters, mulchers, drills and rigs. National Training Manager Dave Evans says Supertrak’s cooling system features a heavy-duty, high-debr is combination charge air, radiator and oil cooler. Roof louvers get air out of the enclosure quickly, he added. The system features a large intake area with optional debris screens. The power pack can be track-mounted or built to function as a stand-alone power unit for job sites. “With a track-mounted power pack equipped with a mulcher or undercutter, it becomes a high-production versatile machine,” Evans said. Depending on excavator reach, it can clear and maintain steep side slope of remote areas, ditch banks, power lines, gas lines and railroads. The power pack models have been well-received with the new Tier 4 requirements and performance and service placement is maximized with the cooling system. Evans says most building construction starts and ends with vegetation management, which in part is a significant driver for demand. “As county and state regulations change, it will affect how we handle vegetation management for controlling material size and managing debris,” Evans added. www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 25
Innovative design provides a practical solution to one of the largest projects in the CREATE Program. by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor All photos courtesy of TranSystems
2016 Dr. W. W. Hay Award:
transystems CREATE p1
I
magine two interstate highways meeting at grade with the only thing to control traffic being a stop sign. This was the comparison made to illustrate the congestion experienced daily by 80 Metra trains, 46 Norfolk Southern trains and 14 Amtrak trains prior to the construction and May 2016 completion of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program’s P1–Englewood Flyover project. The Englewood Flyover was the first major project constructed for the program and when it opened to traffic in October 2014, provided a concrete example of what the CREATE Program could accomplish to alleviate congestion, expedite rail traffic flow and improve safety and air quality in the Chicago region. The construction of the flyover was a monumental task, but one that could not have been accomplished without an innovative and smart design. Metra retained TranSystems to provide final design for construction of the project. For its efforts, 26 Railway Track & Structures
the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) bestowed TranSystems with the 2016 Dr. W.W. Hay Award for Excellence, which is AREMA’s highest honor and recognizes innovative railway engineering procedures, projects and products. “The flyover is an innovative design, comprising of three different bridge types, resulting in a practical and cost-effective solution. Close coordination with multiple agencies was required throughout the project duration to coordinate the design’s complexities, impacts, permits and agreements. The $131-million project was completed on-schedule, meeting the requirements of the federal [high-speed rail] grant. The construction of a complex railroad bridge project in an urban setting without additional right-ofway, under-budget and on-time is rarely accomplished,” TranSystems wrote in its award application. The primary goal of the project, located near 63rd and State Streets in Chicago, was to eliminate the at-grade crossing of 140 trains per day, which improves safety and efficiency of train operations,
January 2017
as well as air quality. TranSystems did this by designing a 2,150-foot long, 26span flyover structure carrying Metra’s Rock Island line over Norfolk Southern/ Amtrak, Dan Ryan Expressway and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line traffic. TranSystems explains that the flyover bridge is a dual structure, with the first structure carrying Metra Mains 1 and 2 and an adjacent structure carrying a future Metra third track. The design firm says utilizing a dual structure allowed for the construction of the two main tracks while maintaining the operation of the existing main tracks. The third track structure was then constructed after the two mains were switched onto the new double track bridge. “CREATE P1 was the first large project to be constructed as part of the multi-billion dollar CREATE program,” said Chuck Stenzel, principal with TranSystems. “The design had to be cost effective, maintain daily operations and minimize impacts to the surrounding neighborhood. The project accomplished these goals and set an example for future projects.” www.rtands.com
Transystems: CREATE p1 design Three bridge types
While it’s easy to think of the flyover as a single element, it required three different bridge types to be used in order to produce a functioning solution. The first bridge type can be found where the flyover bridge begins, just north of Wentworth Avenue. TranSystems designed a three-span continuous structure consisting of 124-inch deep steel plate girders, with a maximum span length of 187 feet, 3 inches. These spans cross over 14 lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) at the Skyway Interchange and the CTA Red Line located in the expressway median. The firm notes that use of a continuous steel girder bridge is uncommon for railroad bridges, but TranSystems went with the design for the three-span segment as it allowed the entire segment to be constructed over the Dan Ryan with a single fixed end. This was necessary because the 40-foot tall piers are located within the Dan Ryan median, and had to be limited to a four-foot maximum width. The south abutment was designed to anchor the segment, with expansion bearings on the piers, significantly reducing the longitudinal load on the piers. Erection of the Dan Ryan double track girders was completed over 16 days. Because the Dan Ryan could only be shut down for 15-minute intervals between midnight and 5 a.m., smaller mobile cranes were used to hold the sections in place in the air until enough bolts were installed to take the load off the cranes. The second bridge type was designed to elevate the Metra Rock Island line to a third level over 63rd Street at the Norfolk Southern/Amtrak elevated tracks. TranSystems says the Metra over NS crossing consists of a two-span segment, with 152-inch deep steel thru-girders and a maximum span length of 143 feet, 8 inches. The design of this segment spans over the three existing and three future NS/Amtrak/high-speed rail tracks. The firm had to design the pier layout to allow an existing signal bungalow to remain in service until a new bungalow was installed. The second span was designed to accommodate the existing 63rd Street bridge, which crosses underneath. “Due to the raised embankment the railroads sit on, tight right-of-way, limited access and being adjacent to two active rail lines, construction of these long girders required more creativity www.rtands.com
including special ground stabilization techniques, special cranes (able to lift 300-tons) and the ability do it all within the work window (a few hours) allowed by the railroads,” said Matt Santeford, TranSystems project structural engineer. The third bridge type used was on the remainder of the flyover bridge, which consists of 21 approach spans: 10 south of the NS crossing and 11 to the north. These spans were built on a spiral horizontal curve utilizing 72-inch deep concrete box beams on chords between piers. “The innovation here was to find a way to allow each of the box beams to be cast exactly the same length while collectively comprising a curved alignment that was eight-beams wide. The length of the beams was held at a constant 70-foot length to increase efficiency of precast production and reduce fabrication and transportation costs,” said Santeford. Stenzel notes that two flyovers TranSystems designed prior to CREATE P1 offered a valuable lesson in utilizing common sections. “The use of common sections allows the contractor to standardize their forms for both the superstructure and substructure and reduce their costs in changing sections. The CREATE P1 project utilized this concept through the use of the precast prestressed concrete deck beams for the approach spans. This concept was also implemented through the use of a consistent size for the cast-in-place concrete cap and column diameter for the approach piers, so that the contractor could re-use the formwork as much as practical,” said Stenzel.
TranSystems also highlights the design and construction techniques applied to the project such as jacking the 1.2 million-pound, 69-degree skew Wentworth Avenue bridge up three feet on the north end and eight inches on the south to set it on a new profile gradient while preserving structural integrity; utilizing retaining walls to eliminate the need for permanent right-of-way acquisition and providing an aesthetically-pleasing solution for residential properties; and the 36-hour window secured to remove the 60th and 66th Street bridges via multi-wheeled hydraulic lift followed by a viaduct fill.
Managing the process
“The technical issues made the project complex; however, managing the process was a challenge of its own,” said Stenzel. “The development and execution of over 40 agreements and documents necessary to implement the controls and funding restrictions for this project had to be coordinated and continually improved.” He notes that TranSystems was able to provide additional value not only to the P1 project, but to the entire CREATE Program by developing procedures utilized during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. “The value added to the engineering process started in Phase 1 where TranSystems was the ‘consultant out in front’ applying the newly formulated environmental processing rules and procedures for CREATE. Basically, the NEPA process for highway projects needed to be ‘converted’ into a process for freight opposite page: A photo from the flyover’s opening day in 2014. This page: Beams being set over the CTA and Dan Ryan Expressway, which could only be shutdown in 15 minute intervals.
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 27
Transystems: CREATE p1 design
approach span concrete box beams were kept at a constant length to reduce cost and boost precast production efficiency.
and passenger rail. Some environmental study processes were not so easily converted. For example, TranSystems developed the procedure for conducting noise studies for the CREATE program, since accounting for freight trains was not part of the standard noise study procedures. TranSystems then taught this methodology to the other CREATE consultants.
28 Railway Track & Structures
TranSystems worked hand-in-hand with the CREATE partners including Metra, Illinois Department of Transportation, Federal Highway and Railroad Administrations, Norfolk Southern, Amtrak, AAR and the city of Chicago. The Englewood Flyover was the first large CREATE project to receive environmental clearance,” said Stenzel.
January 2017
TranSystems also notes the impact the project had on the community and the importance of involving the surrounding area in plans for the project. Job opportunities were a key issue and Metra held contractor-subcontractor “Meet & Greet” sessions to give local firms an opportunity to work on the project. Another issue was a need for improved street-level accommodations such as sidewalk improvements, underpass lighting and drainage improvements to eliminate standing water. Additionally, a tight dust control provision was included and enforced. Stenzel said addressing the neighborhood’s concerns resulted in a winwin outcome. “The cooperation between all the team’s stakeholders was a great example of public and private entities coming together, solving tough issues and working through funding and agreement requirements. This partnership and cooperation will ensure the successful completion of future projects and the program,” said Stenzel.
www.rtands.com
AREMA NEWS Message from the President
Happy New Year!
David A. Becker, PE AREMA President 2016–2017
www.rtands.com
Happy New Year! I imagine many of you, like me, have found it hard to believe another year is already well underway. It seems like it was just a week ago that we were finally able to wrap up engineering projects and finish track or signal maintenance programs begun in early 2016. Once again, the cycle of planning and implementation in line with a seasonal calendar that so many AREMA members have involvement with has begun anew. In many organizations, January is a month where time is set aside to renew the focus on safety. The safety of our industry’s workforce and its rail operations never takes a moment off and the new year provides the perfect opportunity to recommit to the fundamentals of safety and take a fresh look at the procedures in place. Each year, new eyes and ears join the ranks of our industry. As part of our safety planning, it is important to stop and consider these new eyes and ears. These newcomers, while not as seasoned in all aspects of the work, may bring fresh views to many long-standing railroad engineering and maintenance processes. A worthwhile question is: “Am I properly training new workers and fully explaining the risk environment that they must manage as they perform their work?” One unintended (but positive) consequence of the industry’s long track record of safety improvement is that accidents are less frequent. Unfortunately (but thankfully), this also means resultant learning opportunities have reduced and the potential risk present in a task becomes more imperceptible for both super vision and the workforce. Soliciting their input and understanding how they view and interpret potential risks is an important planning step. The United States’ industry and its contractor support community will also need to begin planning in 2017 for the changes to the 49 CFR Part 243 Roadway Worker Protection rules that will be implemented in 2018. Members of AREMA’s Committee 40 - Engineering Safety are well positioned to help interpret these rule changes and bring awareness of the industry’s best practices in regards to the evolving roadway worker
safety landscape. Committee 24 – Education & Training is another valuable source of safetyrelated information via popular seminars that include; FRA 214: Roadway Worker On-Track Safety and Railroad Bridge Worker Safety (Fall Protection) Orientation for Shortlines, Contractors & Consultants. The new year is also a time to consider ways to incorporate new and emerging technologies relating to our work processes. Too often, the eagerness to get work started trumps serious consideration of potentially innovative options and we default to the tried and true methods. I am personally encouraging my engineering staff to seek out opportunities to integrate new products or innovative construction techniques into the projects we will be designing for implementation in 2017. Even if this effort only results in the creation of a test section to evaluate a product, it will still help move the needle of innovation forward. For those planning programs and projects for 2017, I would also encourage you to take time now to plan for the professional development needs of your team for the upcoming year. One of AREMA’s core missions is education and it is our desire to be a provider of first choice for both general railway education, as well as a go-to source for educational credits such as professional development hours, Practicing Institute of Engineering and the Florida Board of Professional Engineers for our Professional members. In 2017, AREMA will continue to present a variety of its core educational offerings, including the popular Bridge Inspection seminar and the Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering course. New content is also being developed. We are particularly excited about a new Bridge Repair course that will provide the ‘‘rest-of-thestory’’ for those who have attended the Bridge Inspection seminar. Now is also a great time to begin planning for your attendance at the AREMA 2017 Annual Conference that will be held in conjunction with Railway Interchange at the Indiana Convention Center, Sept. 17-20. Railway Interchange is held on
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 29
2017 Committee Meetings Jan. 24-25
Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction
Salem, OR
March 22-23 Committee 30 - Ties
Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO
Jan. 24-25 Committee 15 - Steel Structures
Fort Myers, FL
April 25-26 Committee 4 - Rail
Feb. 1
Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures
San Jose, CA
May 16-17 Committee 2 - Track Measurement and Assessment
Feb. 5
Committee 1 - Roadway & Ballast
Feb. 23-25
Committee 24 - Education & Training
March 9
Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Las Vegas, NV
San Gabriel Trench (East of L.A.) Jacksonville, FL
May 16-17
Committee 15 - Steel Structures
Manchester, NJ Oakland, CA
Calgary, ON Canada
May 16-18 Committtee 5 - Track
Pueblo, CO
June 7-8
Denver, CO
Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures
For a complete list of all committee meetings, please visit www.arema.org/events. Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA committee meetings can be found online at: http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.
a biennial basis and is organized by AREMA, RSI, REMSA and RSSI. As many readers have experienced in past years, Railway Interchange is the pre-eminent combined railway exhibition and technical conference in North America. The exhibition portion of the event includes hundreds of vendors and something of interest for all members of AREMA, whether their focus is on maintenance-of-way, signal and communications, track, bridges and structures or general engineering services. The Railway Interchange Opening General Session will again include an interesting and educational keynote speaker that is sure to please all in attendance. Attendance at the 2015 Railway Interchange event topped 9,000, and our hopes are that the 2017 event will be even more successful. Mark your calendars now to avoid conflicts and I look forward to seeing you in September.
FYI‌ Happy New Year!
Call for Entries
Online dues renewal: Be sure to renew your membership online today at www.arema.org. If you have any questions about your dues renewal, please contact Janice Clements at jclements@arema.org. Thank you for being a loyal AREMA member!
AREMA Website Advertising
Order Now: 2017 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices. Please visit www.arema. org or contact Morgan Bruins at 301.459.3200, ext. 711, or mbruins@ arema.org to place an order.
AREMA is now accepting entries for the 2017 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence. The selection process for the 19th W. W. Hay Award has begun. Entries must be submitted by May 26, 2017. Please visit www. arema.org for more information.
Want to be listed on the AREMA website to gain exposure to the more than 6,700 AREMA Members? Contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301.459.3200, ext. 705, or lhamilton@arema.org now to get advertising rates!
Call for Mentors‌ As the years pass, it becomes more vital to introduce and educate the next generation to the railroad industry. To aid in this cause, AREMA has developed a mentoring program to benefit the AREMA student members. We would like to extend an invitation for you to influence the next generation as part of this mentoring program. As a mentor, you will be paired with a mentee that is an AREMA student member. The pairing will try to match student members with someone with experience in the areas of the railroad industry they are interested in. Please visit the AREMA website listed under Education & Training to become a mentor today.
AREMA on Social Media Stay up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information through all official social media outlets. Become a fan of the AREMA Facebook page and join the AREMA LinkedIn group now.
30 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
Do you want to generate leads, p ro m o t e a p ro d u c t a n d re a c h a target audience? S i g n u p f o r sponsor ship of the AREMA 2017 Annual Conference in conjunction with Railway Interchange. Please contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301.459.320 0, ext. 705, or lhamilton@arema.org for more information on sponsorship investment opportunities. 2017: The year to advance your career. The New Year is a chance for a fresh start in your career. Visit www.career s.arema. org and take the first steps toward m a k i n g y o u r 2 01 7 r e s o l u t i o n a reality.
Not an AREMA Member? Join today at www.arema.org www.rtands.com
AREMA NEWS Past scholarship winner, now in rail industry: John Zeman This month, AREMA features one of its past AREMA Foundation Scholar ship winner s who is now working in the railroad industr y, John Zeman. AREMA: You started your rail career as an AREMA student chapter member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. How did this participation guide you to your career goals? ZEMAN: Growing up in a small town in Illinois, I didn’t personally know any engineers or understand the great variety of engineering careers available. By being active in the railroad engineering program—now called RailTEC—and the AREMA student chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I was quickly exposed to the railroad industry and civil engineering in a way that captured my imagination. As a freshman, I had thought about majoring in chemistry because I didn’t know what else to do with math and science. The practicing engineers I met and the construction projects I learned about through AREMA helped me realize a career in civil engineering would be a good fit for me. AREMA: In 2007, you received of the Paul I. Cohen Foundation AREMA Scholarship. How did this impact you as a student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? ZEMAN: Receiving the Paul I. Cohen Foundation Scholarship was an honor and a valuable experience as an undergraduate. Of course, I appreciated the financial award. College was expensive nine years ago, and the costs have more than doubled since. There is also an intangible value to these AREMA Scholarships. I also attended the AREMA Conference in Chicago that year. As a college student, attending an AREMA Conference is a wonderful opportunity to personally meet members of the industry and learn from them. It’s really valuable the way AREMA reaches and supports students and young engineers through scholarships, student chapters and programs like “Meet the Next Generation.” AREMA: What has been your biggest accomplishment during your career at Farnsworth Group, Inc.? ZEMAN: This is my seventh year with Farnsworth Group in Bloomington, Ill., working in the transportationstructural section on a wide variety of highway, civil and railroad projects. One project I have really enjoyed involved the first time I applied my structural engineering license as the lead designer. Starting in 2014, we were www.rtands.com
John ZEMAN, PE, SE
Former UIUC student chapter member, AREMA scholarship recipient Senior Engineer, Farnsworth Group, Inc.
hired by Halverson Construction to design temporary structures for their work on Tier 4 of the Illinois HighSpeed Rail corridor from Chicago to St. Louis. Our work has included multiple sites with various styles of temporar y shoring, bridge demolition plans for stage construction in an urban site, jacking plans for repairs to a 90-year-old thru-girder superstructure and the foundation for a pr ivate access br idge. I t h a s b e e n r e wa r d i n g t o wo r k c l o s e l y w i t h a contractor to find creative solutions with limited time and resources. AREMA: Outside of your career, what do you do with your spare time? ZEMAN: My wife, Katie, and I live in a 115-year-old house that is a real joy and a lot of work at the same time. We have a dachshund and a cat that we spoil. We enjoy traveling to other countries, going off-roading in jeeps in Kentucky and Colorado and competing in the local, amateur trivia circuit with our friends. AREMA: If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be? ZEMAN: To my college self, I would say, “Don’t be in a hurry to grow up. Relax and enjoy yourself.” Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 31
AREMA NEWS
Watford Fellowship expands AREMA's international reach by James N. Michel, PE, senior vice president, Marsh Global Rail Practice In 2014, the AREMA Educational Foundation (AEF) created a learning o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a s p i r i n g r a i lway employees who are members of an AREMA committee to gain international perspectives on railroad design and operations. The Watford Fellowship program provides paid registrations to the Watford Conference for railway designers held annually in Europe. 2016 fellows John Lyon and Megan McIntyre attended the 51st Conference in Copenhagen, where railway design professionals from 16 countries participated in four days of technical sessions. AREMA’s connection to the Watford Group began when all members of Committee 6 - Buildings and Support Facilities were invited into the U.S. Watford delegation in 1994. The Watford Group was created in 1963 by British Railways to encourage the exchange of ideas and promote design excellence among its operating regions; other countries were invited to join and subsequently, more than 20 nations are eligible to send delegates to the annual Watford Conference. The meetings mostly occur in Europe, but have been held in Japan and the U.S. and integrate all aspects of rail transportation under the umbrella of “good design is good bU.S.iness.” “[Watford] exposed me to new, creative ideas which will help me keep up-to-date with the latest improvements in railroad design,” said John Lyon. The goals of this AEF program are twofold: first is to broaden professional hor izons of aspir ing , early career railroaders while enabling them to project the AREMA brand internationally and, second, to add new members to the U.S. Watford Group delegation. Lyon described the redevelopment of air rights and the adjacent environment around the Sunnyside Rail Yard in Queens, N.Y. Megan McIntyre made a presentation on BNSF's work in the Seattle-Portland Rail Corridor to suppor t intercity passenger services. 32 Railway Track & Structures
The Watford Fellowship participants for 2016, John Lyon and Megan McIntyre, attended the 51st conference alongside more than 80 industry professionals.
“I received great feedback from people in the Watford group on my presentation of the civil engineering challenges BNSF faces in the Seattle area,” she said. The 2017 Watford Fellowship will consist of two paid registrations to the Watford Conference valued at approximately U.S.$1,500.00 each. The four-day conference, targeted for mid-October in Europe, will feature presentations in all aspects of railway planning and design with an emphasis on buildings, bridge and tunnel structures and corporate identity. The conference registration fee includes most internal travel expenses including hotel, most meals, all local travel and admissions. The only added cost to a North American would be trans-Atlantic air travel (could U.S.e airline rewards) and incidental expenses not part of the conference registration. Rules and applications for 2017 will be posted on the AREMA Education Foundation website in February with applications due in early April. Megan described her experience, “I appreciated the opportunity to join the Watford group. I will U.S.e the knowledge I gained from the presentations and site visits when dealing with the numeroU.S. passenger and freight rail interactions occurring in the Seattle area and beyond.” The U.S. Watford Committee welcomes
January 2017
participation by professional designers to the railway indU.S.try committed to quality in rail transportation. Affiliated members of the U.S. Delegation are eligible to register to attend future Watford Conferences. For more information, visit www.watfordgroup.org or contact Cesar Vergara, U.S. Delegation chairman at watford@ vergarastudio.com. “It was a warm group of like-minded rail engineers and architects who were very welcoming to John and me. It was a very intimate group, only about 75 participants, which made the experience very personal,” said Megan McIntyre. “I enjoyed the presentations on rail station design and urban planning that the freight rail groups in the U.S. are not always exposed to.” “ T h e Wa t f o r d e x p e r i e n c e h a s been boundless for my personal and professional development. It allowed me professional communication with people from other backgrounds, which has helped me to develop stronger communication skills and confidence for progressing my railroad facilities design career. Watford has allowedme to establish a global network of valuable contacts parallel to my professional career. The Watford is resourceful, exposing new creative ideas which will help me stay up-to-date with the latest improvements in railroad design," Lyon said. www.rtands.com
AREMA NEWS Part 1 of 2: A comparison of three methods of non-destructive testing technology methods on wood structures by Robert Keller, P.E., Senior Engineer; Rebecca Arthur, Mechanical Engineer; Dan Tingley Ph.D., P.Eng., RPEQ, MIEAust CPEng, Senior Structural Engineer, Wood Technologist; Wood Research and Development, Jefferson, OR, USA Timber bridges comprise a smaller percentage of the total bridges in the world today as the number of concrete and steel bridges increases. In North America, there are approximately 1 million timber bridges currently in service—both in railway infrastructure and in local government jurisdictions. With a dwindling supply of knowledge and practical experience base in timber bridge inspection and maintenance within the local governments and railways, many now rely on external consultants and contractors who have experience with concrete and steel bridges, but very little experience with timber bridges (particularly old ones). Local governments turn to timber bridge inspection and maintenance standards published by state highway authorities as criteria for timber bridge inspection offerings. These maintenance and inspection manuals are frequently re-issued with very few upgrades to reflect the current state-of-the-art based on worldwide developments. This in turn leads to poor, outdated maintenance practices, further escalating the demise of the timber bridges. There are also other points to take into account regarding this issue. There is the green revolution with CO 2 footprints and carbon trading to consider. Timber bridges are 22 times more carbon friendly than steel bridges and 16 times more carbon friendly than concrete bridges. Timber is very forgiving with redundancy within its systems. It has superior impact properties as compared to steel and concrete and displays superior performance when subjected to acceleration loads, particularly compared to concrete, due to its low MOE characteristics in various directions and its anisotropic nature. Footprints for new bridges are larger, the costs are greater and the environmental considerations are complex. Thus, the rising cost of replacement has added pressure to improve timber bridge maintenance practices. Most government and railway asset managers have external consultants conduct Level I inspections which provide an inventory record of bridge locations, composition, site conditions and other overall bridge characteristics; they do not speak to bridge load rating except in cases where elements are clearly in duress
such that the bridge might be shut down until Level II and III inspections can be conducted. Level II and III inspections give a more detailed understanding of the bridge condition to determine a way forward. With limited budgets and an ever-aging timber bridge population, owners are engaging consultants who can provide advanced techniques for timber bridge inspections which can be performed at lower cost with greater accuracy; hence the advent of vibrational analysis methods and through wave technology. Many old methods of inspection are still used by local governments and railways. The most popular such method is bore sounding, which fits into a broad group of older inspection methods with pick testing and hammer sounding. More advanced modern methods, such as global stiffness and through compression wave testing, are now utilized around the world. However, wood is anisotropic and exhibits different strength and MOE values in different directions; thus different bridge designs require different inspection considerations. Bridges carry loads over a gap utilizing
Figure 1, top: A shell and void indicator (left) is used to measure the annulus thickness in a bore sounding hole. A burst, cracked pile (right) near Blayney, NSW. Bore sounding holes accelerated decay. Figure 2, middle: Sounding bore (left) 50–75 mm deep into the girder showed solid bright wood, leading the inspector to assess the girder had a high strength rating. The bridge on the right was given a 2T rating just weeks before utilizing a vibrational dampening stiffness testing, and sounding bores. Figure 3, bottom: Cavities in log bridge elements are rarely symmetrical. Bore sounding would have to be so frequent that it would in itself compromise the quality of the element to properly isolate the size, shape and length of a cavity. www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 33
AREMA NEWS
Figure 4, top: Forced vibration global stiffness measurement equipment set up on a typical timber bridge with no dampening load4. Figure 5, bottom left: Forced vibration global stiffness measurement equipment set up on a typical timber bridge with dampening load5. Figure 6, bottom right: A typical Mode 1 deformation pattern in a forced vibration global stiffness system non-dampened6.
established with other bores. The figure shows a log girder from the same bridge type one kilometer away which was built during the same year. Again, the sounding bore indicated an acceptable level of quality in the girder, but the girder failed. Figure 3 (page 33) shows cross sections of log girders where the piping and surrounding decay zone are not symmetrical and bore sounding can miss the cavity.
Global stiffness methods
different resisting stresses. The resisting stresses in a timber bridge must exceed the applied stresses with at least a composite adjustment factor (CAF) (1.3 for safety and 1.6 for duration of load) of 2.1 depending on the design characteristic. The inspection activity must seek to provide a way of understanding what the real capacity is within the bridge structural elements and establish a load capacity. The following sections discuss three inspection methods: bore sounding, global stiffness methods and through compression wave testing. Part Two of this article will appear in the February 2017 issue of RT&S.
Bore sounding
Bore sounding is one of a number of assay type timber bridge test methods. It requires less time than core testing and resistance drilling and consists of drilling a hole into the timber element and establishing the condition of the wood to a depth equal to the bore hole. It is used in conjunction with a hooked probe, shown in Figure 1 (page 33), to establish annulus thickness and cavitation size (pipe diameter) in timber bridge elements. Figure 1 also shows a timber pile that is completely degraded due to bursting. Bore sounding contributed to the accelerated decay at the splash zone. Subsequent cavity development led to bursting when a heavy concrete deck was placed on the bridge. Repeated bore soundings in the same area of an element can also lead to loss of structural integrity. The bore sounding technique is only effective in the immediate area of the timber element where the bore is created. Chips from the bore are not typically tested and loss of density is not measured. A loss of only 10 percent in wood density due to decay can result in up to 75 percent loss in strength. Not only the thickness, but the quality of the annulus is important to establish. In Figure 2, (page 33) a sounding bore has been completed on the side near the end of a timber girder yielding a solid wood result with no piping. Some of these girders collapsed within a few months of the completion of the bore sounding test due to cavitation and reduced annulus quality and a significant reduction in thickness in another part of the girder which had not been 34 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
Global stiffness methods typically utilize a forced or non-forced vibration system and a dampened or non-dampened test load application to the bridge deck. Figures 4 and 5 above show test setups for global stiffness testing. Figure 6 shows a typical Mode 1 vibration induced deformation result. The non-forced systems use low, medium and heavy weight sledge hammers (approximately 1 to 6 kg) to initiate vibrations, which are recorded at various locations on the deck, superstructure and in some cases substructure of the bridge by accelerometers (transducers). The vibration recorded is analyzed and typically the first bending mode frequency is used to predict the bridge stiffness1. This stiffness is then related to the bridge strength characteristics. The vibration analysis, both forced and non-forced, can also be completed with a dead load (dampened) applied to the bridge deck, usually less than 10 percent of the bridge load capacity. Global stiffness testing utilizing a number of different systems and approaches has been popular around the world for some years in an attempt to reduce inspection time and costs while improving the accuracy of the estimated load rating for the bridge inspected. The data recovered is typically limited to the first bending mode of the bridge vibration. To be more accurate regarding the wide variety of bridge types that exist, physical testing would have to be matched with vibration test methods for each type of timber bridge to eliminate confounding factors which make it difficult to develop a load rating for the bridge from global deck vibration data. These are as follows. First, the basis of the typical prediction model is the relationship between Modulus of Rupture (bending) (MORb) and Modulus of Elasticity (bending) (MOEb) developed from tests to failure of old bridge girders recovered from service with an age in the 25–35 year range. The regression analysis of this data is far too often statistically insignificant, usually due to strain at failure reduction caused by decay or other degradation2. The failure strain can vary from L/90 to L/220 for girders with advanced decay and thin reduced Specific Gravity (SG) annulus’s located in the high bending stress in tension zone. Second, the data predicts an average stiffness; it does not effectively identify the weak links in the system. Since defect zones may reduce the global stiffness minimally, it may mask a significant loss in the strength of any single element. Typical global stiffness systems cannot accurately analyze different configurations such as www.rtands.com
AREMA NEWS a concrete top on a girder curtain where the two systems no longer connect such that plane sections do not remain plane between the two strata. A successful NDT must be able to isolate critical zones in the structural elements and determine how close to failure they may be. Third, the relationship of MORb to MOEb does not speak to MOE in compression perpendicular to grain for reaction bearing deformation and ultimate collapse of girders at reaction points. In Figure 8, the girder was assessed as providing suitable load rating, yet the girder end was collapsing at the bearing due to decay and a completely cavitated corbel was not detected by global stiffness testing. Fourth, the MOEb, as determined by vibrational analysis in the first bending mode frequency, is not effective in measuring Shear Modulus (G), which typically constitutes a small percent of composite deck stiffness on typical length spans. However, when girder ends become decayed in the core G represents a much larger portion of the composite global stiffness, approaching 25 percent of the total. Vibrational stiffness does not consider this aspect of the composite stiffness with typical forced or nonforced, dampened or non-dampened, vibrational methods. A figure to be featured in Part Two of this article shows a sketch of a typical wood beam in bending and an elemental cube of wood in the beam. The shear stress is calculated by VQ/It where V is the applied shear force, Q is the shear flow through the beam, I is the Moment of Inertia and t is the width in parametric sections. This formula can be used to derive 3V/2A where A is the cross sectional area of parametric sections. This formula is only accurate at a distance of more than 1.9 D away from the reaction where D is equal to the depth of the element. Within the distance D from the reaction, the formula 4V/2A more effectively describes the shear distribution through the depth of the beam with the maximum being at the bottom of the beam over the reaction. The distribution of horizontal shear is parabolic a distance equal to 1.9 D away from the reaction and triangular a distance D or less away from the reaction. Between 1.9D and 1D shear maximum migrates from the bottom zone to the neutral axis zone in the range of D
away from the support the compression bulb causes the shear resistance of wood to be up to 50 percent higher3. This usually means that shear can be neglected in this zone. However, shear cannot be neglected when the end zones of log girders are heavily cavitated and susceptible to horizontal shear cracking. Horizontal shear failure zones cause G to become a much larger portion of bending stiffness. Vibrational analysis of mode one bending frequency does not provide a satisfactory measure of a timber bridge reduction in stiffness due to a loss of G. A decayed zone that occurs in the same area as maximum horizontal shear can reduce the G value by 80 percent. Finally, MOE in transverse shear is not considered in global stiffness assessments. This is a problem when the girders become completely decayed at the ends of bridges, due predominately to vertical fastener systems in the first meter of the girders. Vibrational analysis may miss impending failure due to transverse shear strength and G loss.
References 1. Cunha, A. and Caetano, E. 2006. Experimental Modal Analysis of Civil Engineering Structures. University of Porto (FEUP), Portugal. Sound and Vibration/June 2006: 12 – 20. 2. Crews, K.I. 2007. Reliable Assessment of Aged Timber Bridges using Dynamic Procedures. University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 3. Peterson, J. 1970. Increased Horizontal Shear Strength in Wood When Accompanied by Compressive Stress. OSU, ASCE 1970. 4. Wang, X., Wacker, J.P., Morison, A.M., Forsman, J. W., Erickson, J.R., Ross, R. J. 2005. Nondestructive Assessment of Single-Span Timber Bridges Using aVibration-Based Method. USDA, Research Paper FPL-RP-627. 5. Wacker, J.P., Wang, X., Bradshaw, B., and Ross, R.J. 2006. Estimating Bridge Stiffness Using a Forced-Vibration Technique for Timber Bridge Health Monitoring. NDE Conference on Civil Engineering, 2006 August 14-18, St. Louis, MO. Columbus, OH, American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. ISBN: 1571171487: pages 63-70. 6. Morison, A, VanKarsen, C.D., Evensen, H.A., Ligon, J.B., Erickson, J.R., Ross, R.J., and Forsman, J.W. 2002. Timber Bridge Evaluation; A Global Nondestructive Approach Using Impact Generated FRFs. Conference & Exposition on Structural Dynamics, Society for Experimental Mechanics, Bethel, CT. Proceedings of IMAC-XX.
Figure 7, top: Premature bending failure in
hardwood log girder caused by a decay pocket just 150mm in diameter x 200mm long near the maximum bending zone in a 10 m long round hardwood log girder. The stiffness of the girder was typical for the grade and species with no appreciable reduction noted.
Figure 8, bottom: Global stiffness testing did not detect the defects in this girder or cavitated corbel, yet a vertical deformation of 100mm was witnessed by inspectors when cars passed over the girder.
www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 35
PRODUCTS Adjustable rail shoes
Hougen Manufacturing, Inc., has released its new Trak-Star® Adjustable Rail Shoes. Hougen’s new shoes are intended to aid operators by allowing them to use a single pair of shoes for 10 different sizes of AREA rail. The company says carrying one size of rail shoes allows for quicker rail changeouts while minimizing the burden of transporting additional equipment to various job sites. The shoes feature a built-in adjustable size slider, which allows the user to pull the locking pin, slide the size adjustment bar to the corresponding rail size and reinsert the pin to secure its appropriate placement. The company also says the shoes do not need to be removed from the drill, adding that the shoes fit all models of Trak-Star Rail Drills, including the RM42 hydraulic rail drill and the gas RB28. The shoes are also made in the U.S. The Hougen Trak-Star lineup includes gas- and hydraulic-powered rail drills, gas- and electricpowered bonding drills, gas and hydraulic rail saws and related accessories. Phone: 810-635-7111.
Rail dampers, noise control
KamPa International, Inc. and voestalpine Nortrak Inc. announced a new partnership to supply North American freight and passenger railroads with noise control components and rail dampers. The partnership is referred to as “KamPa by Nortrak” and will pair KamPa’s noise reduction proficiency and patented European technology with Nortrak’s extensive design and manufacturing capabilities. The partnership will bring customers the KamPa Damper, a passive-tuned tool that clamps to the rail and controls broadband railway noise at its source by reducing rail vibration during the passage of a train. The tool is described as a cost-effective noise mitigation solution for use in sensitive locations, and the company says the dampers can be applied to ballasted, ballastless and high-speed tracks with no need for any drilling of the rail. The product also allows for easy installation, improved longevity and simplified visual inspections. Phone: 604-2733030.
CALENDAR JANUARY 30-Feb. 2. NIT League Transportation Summit. Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa. San Diego, Calif. Phone: 703-524-5011. Website: http://nitl.org/events/annual-conference/. 31-feb. 2. 2017 AAR Quality Assurance Auditor and Industry Conference. New Orleans, La. Website: http://www.aar.com/ standards/useful_links.html. FEBRUARY 7-8. Railroad Track Construction Project Management. Holiday Inn. Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: dmpeter5@ wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/course/railroad-trackconstruction-project-management/. 15-16. ExpoRail XVI-2017. Expo Santa Fé/CDMX. Mexico City, Mexico. Contact: Enrique Cortés. Phone: +52-55-5148-7543. E-mail: ecortes@tcevents.com. Website: www.exporail.mx. MARCH 2. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. Renaissance Washington. Website: www.aslrra.org. 13-17. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards Workshop. TN Valley Railroad Museum. Chattanooga, Tenn. Phone: 865-974-5255. Website: http://ttap.utk.edu/. 36 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
21-22. 22nd Annual Association of American Railroads’ Research Review. Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Colorado Springs, Colo. Contact: Lori Bennett. Phone: 303-617-3300. E-mail: annualreview@ aar.com. Website: www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default. aspx?EventID=1908255 APRIL 4-7. 2017 ASME Joint Rail Conference. Doubletree by Hilton at Philadelphia City Center. Philadelphia, Pa. E-mail: jakubowskim@ asme.org. Website: www.asme.org/events/joint-rail-conference. 10-11. 2017 International Rail Safety Seminar & Expo. Florida Hotel and Conference Center. Orlando, Fla. Phone: 321-473-6066. E-mail: tom@vehicleandtrack.com. Website: railsafetyseminars.com/. 18-20. Light Rail 2017. Grand Hyatt Denver. Denver, Colo. E-mail: conferences@sbpub.com. Website: http://www.railwayage.com/ index.php/conferences/lightrail.html. 22-25. ASLRRA 2017 Connections. Gaylord Texan Resort. Grapevine,Texas. Phone: 202-628-4500. Website: www.aslrra.org. MAY 2. 2017 Annual Transloading Conference. Kansas City, Mo. Phone: 402-306-2250. E-mail: steve@tdana.com. Website: www.tdana.com. www.rtands.com
Ad Index Company
Phone #
AREMA Marketing Department
e-mail address
Page #
301-459-3200
301-459-8077
marketing@arema.org
Cover 3
Danella Rental Systems, Inc.
610-828-6200
610-828-2260
pbarents@danella.com
5
Gage Bilt, Inc.
586-226-1500
586-226-1505
Herzog Services, Inc.
Fax#
816-233-9002
kyle.lang@gagebilt.com
9
816-233-7757
rebersold@herzogservices.com
17
Moley Magnetics, Inc.
844-M-MAGNET (844-662-4638) 716-434-5893
sales@moleymagneticsinc.com
9
Neel Company, The
703-913-7858
703-913-7859
jlewis@neelco.com
7
North American Rail Products Inc.
604-946-7272
888-692-1150
cerhart@narailproducts.com
6
Pandrol USA, L.P.
1-800-221-CLIP
856-467-2994
Progress Rail Corp.
913-345-4807
913-345-4818
Rail Construction Equipment Co.
866-472-4510
630-355-7173
Railway Educational Bureau, The
402-346-4300
Sperry Rail Services
Cover 4
jstout@amstedrps.com
23
dennishanke@rcequip.com
25
bbrundige@sb-reb.com
20,28
203-791-4507
robert.dimatteo@sperryrail.com
19
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.
773-254-9600
773-254-1110
cp@wch.com
6
Willamette Valley Company
541-484-9621
541-484-1987
alisha.barrowcliff@wilvaco.com
Cover 2
402-346-1783
Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue. The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RTS assumes no responsibility for the correctness.
Advertising Sales general sales OFFICE AL, KY Jonathan Chalon Publisher (212) 620-7224 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1165 New York, NY 10014 jchalon@sbpub.com
OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada -ÂAB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato (312) 683-5026 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 hdisabato@sbpub.com
CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada - Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 jmarullo@sbpub.com
Responsible for advertisement sales in all parts of the world, except Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, Japan, and North America. Suite N2, The Priory, Syresham Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3LB, UK Louise Cooper International Sales Manager Suite K5 &K6
AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK,
www.rtands.com
The Priory +44-1444-416917 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom lc@railjournal.co.uk
Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 +39-10-570-4948 V Piano, Int 9 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 16129 Genoa, Italy info@mediapointsrl.it
Julie Richardson International Sales Manager Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416368 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom jr@railjournal.co.uk
Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, +81-3-5691-3335 Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 Tokyo 121-0824, Japan amskatsu@dream.com
Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL
Classified, Professional & Employment Jeanine Acquart (212) 620-7211 Fax: (212) 633-1325 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. New York, NY 10014 jacquart@sbpub.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 37
NEW & USED EQUIPMENT
Professional Directory
TAKE A LOOK AT QUALITY Kenworths, DMF Gear, Moley Magnets & Serco Loaders
Grapple Trucks
LEASE or Rotary Dumps
Products and services
BUY
Tunnel Trucks
Custom Build New or Used Chassies Also: Hirail Boom Dump Trucks NOW a Hirail Mechanics Trucks SERCO Crew Cabs DEALER Hytracker for moving equipment Hudson Ballast Cars DMF & Harsco parts, service and installation
REESE
RAILROAD SERVICES
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
• Track construction and maintenance • On-track ditching and rotary dump service • On-track tree trimming and brushcutting • Storm and flood cleanup and debris removal • Tie distribution, removal and disposal
Est. 1910
Ph: 315-455-0100 • Fax: 315-455-6008 • Syracuse, NY • www.franktartaglia.com
Hi-Rail trucks engineered for your applications with nationwide deliveries and warranties...
K. W. Reese, Inc.
Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236
(717) 328-5211 • fax (717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com
5 Time NRC SafeTy awaRd wiNNeR
Grapple Trucks Magnets & Self Propelled
GLOBAL RAIL TENDERS Section Trucks Telescoping & Articulating Cranes
ALSO AVAILABLE Hi-Rail Pickup Trucks Hi-Rail Mechanics Trucks Hi-Rail Aerial Devices Hi-Rail Welder Trucks
and many more truck configurations...
Turning Opportunities into New Business
Get up-to-the-minute business intelligence by subscribing to GlobalRailTenders.com Powered by
38 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
Track Maintenance Trucks
877-888-9370 877-888-9370
ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL bharrod@Aspeneq.com Aspenequipment.com/raiLROAD
RailwayAge.com
RT&S2013revAd.indd 1
2/12/13 2:57 PM
The News Destination for the Rail Industry www.rtands.com
NEW & USED EQUIPMENT
R. E. L. A. M., INC.
PARTS • SALES • SERVICE
E-Mail: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399 Visit our website at: www.relaminc.com EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, SJ, SJ2, Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line HYDRAULIC STABILIZERS HARSCO TS-30HDs TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW PRODUCTS KBR-860-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1000/1050 Kribber-Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Models CX and SS Spikers Model SP2R Dual Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAILHEATERS Pettibone Model 445E/F Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments (F’s with Tier 4 Engine) Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Propane and Diesel Railheaters - Single & Dual Sided, Selfpropelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts
NEW & USED Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps, Mechanics Trucks and Pickups. WE ALSO RENT! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 Toll Free: 888-405-0110 e-mail: rob@wisktrucks.com • www.wisktrucks.com
Available for Lease 3000 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com
MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com
RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SERVICES, INC. www.railwayequipmentservices.net MOW Equipment – Lease & Sale Track Surfacing – Tamp & Reg Brushcutting – Dual side Kershaw Specialized Hauling – Low Boys with Rail 318-995-7006 or 318-469-7133 “A full service company with over 20 yrs exp!”
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
January 2017 39
NEW & USED EQUIPMENT 100 S Paniplus Drive Olathe, ks 66061 main: 913.764.1315 Mobile: 913.972.1013
Hi-Rail Trucks Work Ready or Custom Built to Order www.omahatrackequipment.com
•New-Used-Rentals •Work ready trucks available for immediate delivery •Custom Builds - yours specs or ours •Parts & Services •Hi-Rail & Crane Inspections
Grapple Trucks Mag & Creep Drive
PARTS • SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
Hi-Rail Rail & Tie Carts
Rotary Dump Trucks
Section Trucks
John Gallo Business Development Manager 402-990-9385 Johng@omahatrack.com
OLATHE, KS • HOUSTON, TX • BRIGHTON, CO • BRANCHBURG, NJ • SAN MARCOS, CA • CALGARY
www.colliscw.com
MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 • Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
Get the inside scoop on and off the track
Rail BRief: The Weekly RT&S Email Newsletter SubScribe at: www.rtands.com/RailBrief
40 Railway Track & Structures
January 2017
www.rtands.com