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This report describes the work conducted over the past two decades on rail integrity research sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and carried out by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. The research has involved both experimental and analytical studies on the subject...
The need to determine the structural integrity and passenger safety provided by existing commuter rail seats was identified by the Construction/Structural Subgroup of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards (PRESS) Task Force. Recognizing...
In July 1999, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), conducted a system evaluation test as part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Improved Freight Car Roller Bearing Inspection Program (Task Order 122). at the...
The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Research and Test Department, conducted a series of simulated revenue service tests with a train of eight cars containing wheel sets with specific roller bearing defects and wheel sets...
A series of tests were performed at the Bearing Test Facility at the Transportation Technology Center,Inc. (TICI) in Pueblo,Colorado, to gather acoustic and acceleration emissions for a number of roller bearing defect types designated by the rail industry as a priority. This database will be used...
One portion of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Track Performance Improvement Program is the development of engineering and analytic techniques required for the design and maintenance of railroad track of increased integrity and safety. Under the program management of the Transportation...
The United States Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the US DOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D), conducted an independent internal evaluation of the...
Advancements in the structural crashworthiness of passenger rail cars now make it possible to preserve the compartmentalized space occupied by a cab car engineer during a train collision. In order to translate this additional protection into improved survivability and mitigate injuries, it is...
This research project used wireless smart sensors to develop a cost-effective and practical portable structural health monitoring system for railroad bridges in North America. The system is designed for periodic deployment rather than as a permanent installation to enable campaign-style bridge...