The Influence of Seasonal Effects on Railway Vertical Track Modulus
| Author(s) | Merheb, Antonio | |
| Author(s) | Palese, Joseph | |
| Author(s) | Hartsough, Christopher M. | |
| Author(s) | Zarembski, Allan | |
| Author(s) | Bernucci, Liedi | |
| Date Accessioned | 2024-08-08T13:24:47Z | |
| Date Available | 2024-08-08T13:24:47Z | |
| Publication Date | 2024-07-23 | |
| Description | This article was originally published in Infrastructures. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9080120. © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). | |
| Abstract | Adequate vertical track support is essential for safe and efficient railway operations. Insufficient support leads to distorted track geometry, increased dynamic loads, component stress, poor ride quality, rolling stock damage, and derailment risks. Current inspection practices focus on assessing the condition of the track components and geometry, rather than the root causes of degradation. To improve this condition, this study presents the use of a methodology that utilizes an autonomous vertical track deflection measurement system mounted on a loaded rail car (36 tonnes/axle) to support track maintenance decisions in a heavy haul railroad located in southeast Brazil. The system continuously measured substructure stiffness along the railway line. Over one year, data were collected from over 8000 km of track. The study highlighted seasonal effects on track degradation over time, identifying areas with significant deflections and high deflection rates, which contribute to issues such as differential settlement and reduced lifespan of track components. Additionally, the study revealed seasonal effects, with deflections peaking during wet weather and decreasing during dry cycles. A method to classify weak track areas was developed, facilitating monitoring and enabling more effective maintenance planning, contributing to the reduction of overall track maintenance costs and enhancing safety and operational efficiency. | |
| Sponsor | This work was financially supported by MRS Logistics Railway. | |
| Citation | Merheb, Antonio, Joseph Palese, Christopher M. Hartsough, Allan Zarembski, and Liedi Bernucci. 2024. "The Influence of Seasonal Effects on Railway Vertical Track Modulus" Infrastructures 9, no. 8: 120. https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9080120 | |
| ISSN | 2412-3811 | |
| URL | https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/34666 | |
| Language | en_US | |
| Publisher | Infrastructures | |
| dc.rights | Attribution 4.0 International | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| Keywords | seasonal effects on railway | |
| Keywords | track degradation | |
| Keywords | track modulus | |
| Keywords | railway maintenance | |
| Title | The Influence of Seasonal Effects on Railway Vertical Track Modulus | |
| Type | Article |
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