Rail Surface Hardness and Condition Measurement

This project is in support of a Transportation Research Board Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (TRB IDEA) project to develop a method for measuring rail surface hardness and condition. Also, the project will be a general assessment of what additional information may be helpful to aid the grinding process to permit removing fatigued metal and reshaping rail head while minimizing adverse effects of the grinding process. Included will be an assessment of what level of hardness loss may have a practical effect on rail wear rate and how size and density of surface micro-cracking and spalling can be meaningfully expressed in various measurement levels.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Track and Components

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Plotkin, Don

• Performing Organizations:

  NRC-Canada

  ,    
• Start Date: 20120510
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 30799

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Condition surveys; Grinding; Hardness; Microcracking; Railhead; Railroad tracks; Wear
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01465230
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 2:57PM