Spike Loading Environment in Various Wood Tie Fastening Systems [Research Results]

Federal Railroad Administration2022PDFBriefBaillargeon, JayWoody, Stephen (Sean)Gao, YinUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and DevelopmentAssociation of American Railroads. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad AdministrationUnited StatesSpikesFastenersRailroad tiesTensionRail fastenersFatigue crackingFailure analysisRR 22-21Baillargeon, JayResearch ResultsThe Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) contracted with Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) to investigate the spike loading environment in various wood-tie fastening systems. The goal was to understand how dynamic loads are transferred to the spikes in wood-tie fastening systems and identify feasible solutions to the spike breakage issue. Field testing was conducted on a six-degree curve at FRA\u2019s Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO, in 2021. Researchers instrumented four common wood-tie fastening systems with strain-gaged cut spikes to determine their real-time dynamic bending strains.143