Wednesday, June 16, 1999 (Washington, DC )

U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced the award of a $99,000 Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant to Tuskegee University in Alabama for rail fatigue research.

"This grant demonstrates President Clinton and Vice President Gore’s commitment to education to prepare America for the next century and the new millennium," Secretary Slater said. "Such research and study will both prepare our students to enter the 21st century workforce and develop a platform to achieve our vision of the transportation system for the new millennium."

Modern rails manufactured from steel are subjected to severe service conditions. These materials experience complex loadings which are generated by the weight of goods, the impact of trains, curves of the tracks, friction and wave actions of locomotive wheels, as well as thermal stresses in changing climates and other critical factors. This rail fatigue research will examine the properties of steel in modern rails, and characterize crack growth patterns and their damage tolerances.

"Railroad traffic is increasing and this research will assist us in improving railroad safety by expanding our knowledge of rail durability," said FRA Administrator Jolene M. Molitoris.

She said the research is important because premature rail fatigue failure has been the cause of derailments and other severe accidents. An improved understanding of this failure mechanism is essential to address related issues of railroad safety, reliability and operational efficiency.

The grant was awarded after a preliminary qualification assessment, consultations with appropriate faculty, and inspection of the scientific facilities at the institution. The research will build on Tuskegee University’s heritage in science and engineering, a tradition going back to George Washington Carver and continuing with the its more recent research for NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy.