Rail-Mounted Strain Gauges for Tie Reaction Measurement Under Dynamic Loading

Several research and field applications have backed the crib circuit (CC) (i.e., installed between two ties) for vertical wheel load measurement. However, no studies have explored whether the tie circuit (i.e., installed on top of a tie) is valid for rail-tie interface force measurement. Thus, questions remain about its accuracy. On October 2021, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) tasked ENSCO Inc., and Oklahoma State University (OSU) to field-validate this approach under actual train loading. This work took place in Chambersburg, PA.