Evaluation of Rail Car Floor Fire Resistance Exposure and Test Article Scaling

The focus of this research was to determine the appropriate fire resistance exposure severity and duration for passenger rail car floor assemblies, as well as an assessment of the minimum size test article for fire resistance testing. Modeling methodologies were developed to predict the fire, thermal, and structural response of rail car floor assemblies. Using these models, it was determined that the ASTM E119 fire exposure severity adequately represented realistic fire exposures and a duration of at least 30 minutes is required. Simulations were also used to explore changes in load and boundary conditions leading to a new set of boundary conditions which required rail car floors under fire resistance test to be supported on the longitudinal ends rather than the transverse ends. Based on the simulations of a specific floor geometry, it was shown that the new boundary conditions allowed the test article to be reduced to one-third of the current size while still maintaining a response consistent with the rail car floor assembly in the end-use condition.

• Record URL:
  https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L19779#p1_z5_gD_lRT
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Title on cover: Evaluation of Rail Car Floor Fire Resistance and Test Article Scaling.
• Corporate Authors:

  Jensen Hughes, Incorporated

  3610 Commerce Drive, Suite 817
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21227-7164

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Railroad Policy and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research, Development, and Technology
  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • Kapahi, Anil
  • 0000-0001-9279-7544
  • McKinnon, Mark
  • Rippe, Christian
  • DiDomizio, Matthew
  • Luo, Charles
  • Yazdani, Soroush
  • Lattimer, Brian
• Publication Date: 2018-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report; Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 239p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fire resistance; Railroad cars; Simulation; Time duration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Boundary conditions; Fire exposure; Vehicle floors
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01688511
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FRA/ORD-18/38
• Contract Numbers: DTRT57-12-D-30011, Order 0031; DTFR53-15-X-00019
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 16 2018 11:13PM