Research Results: UIUC Concrete Tie and Fastener Field Testing at TTC

015354312014PDFBriefRR 14-23Concrete tiesRail fastenersDesignPerformance measurementStrain (Mechanics)Field testsFinite element methodLive loadsRailroad tiesFasteningsPerformanceConcrete crosstieselastic fastening systemsfield instrumentationconcrete sleepersloading conditionsdisplacementsResearch Results ReportResearch HubRailroadsVehicles and EquipmentDesign of Pavements, Railways and GuidewaysUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Railroad AdministrationStuart, CameronUnited States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and DevelopmentUS Transportation CollectionIn July 2012, the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (UIUC) began an extensive experimental program at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. The field experimentation program was part of a larger research program funded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve the design and performance of concrete crossties and fastening systems. The UIUC program recorded loads, strains, and displacements of the track components under passenger consists traveling at speeds of 2\u2013102 mph, freight consists with car weights ranging from 263,000 to 315,000 pounds, and static responses from a track loading vehicle (TLV). The results of the experiment have yielded insight into the transfer of forces between the train wheels and the rail/fastener/crosstie system and provided a means to validate a comprehensive finite element model (FEM)