Puncture Resistance of Scale Mode Aluminum Tank Car Heads

In the study of the coupler-tank car head impact phenomena in derailment and switchyard operations, different test conditions have to be considered. In order to correlate the threshold puncture velocity with these conditions, many impact tests need to be performed to obtain the required information. For these studies, a small-scale model testing program is certainly more desirable over the full-scale testing as far as the cost is concerned. It is imperative, however, that the small-scale model impact tests will provide reliable information as to the real full-scale impact phenomena. Therefore, several attempts were made in this study with small-scale impact testing to investigate different tank car head protection devices with different impact conditions. The test results indicate that all the protective devices provide good protection to the scale model tank car heads against impact puncture as compared with the barehead impact situation. However, some differences in terms of protection capability between these protective devices in each scale were found. The results of the 1/10-scale drop-weight center impact tests indicate that the high-alloy steel head shields provided the most protection to the test specimens followed by the steel face plate-aluminum honeycomb materials and then the steel face plate-Tecspak materials. This was changed in the 1/5-scale test results where the honeycomb materials provided the most protection to the test specimens followed by the head shields and then the Tecspak plates. The test results also indicate no significant effect of low temperature on the vulnerability of the scale-model aluminum tank car heads.

• Record URL:
  https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/puncture-resistance-scale-mode-aluminum-tank-car-heads
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/62126
• Corporate Authors:

  Advanced Technology and Research, Incorporated

  3933 Sandy Spring Road
  Burtonsville, MD  United States  20866

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lishaa, M A
  • Dai, C C
  • Giltrud, M
  • Yang, J C S
• Publication Date: 1987-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 104p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alloy steel; Aluminum; Crash tests; Elastomers; Low temperature; Puncture resistance; Scale models; Steel plates; Tank cars
• Uncontrolled Terms: Honeycomb materials; Tank car head protection devices
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01666145
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FRA/ORD-87/06
• Contract Numbers: DTFR53-84-C-00029
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 16 2018 8:46PM