Side Impact Test and Analyses of a DOT-105 Tank Car

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) conducted a side impact test on a Department of Transportation (DOT)-105A500W (referred to as DOT-105) tank car to evaluate the performance of it under dynamic impact conditions and to provide data for the verification and refinement of a computational model. The tank car was filled with water to approximately 89.4 percent of its volume and pressurized to 100 psi. The tank car was impacted at 15.2 mph by a 297,125-pound ram car with 12- by 12-inch ram head fitted to the ram car. The ram car impacted the tank center; it punctured the tank after slowing nearly to a stop. The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) performed finite element (FE) modeling to estimate the overall response of the tank to the impact. The pre-test model used two different material models for the steel in the tank car shell. The pre-test model that used a lower-ductility material response was found to be in very good agreement with the test results. After the test, material coupons were cut from the car and subjected to tensile testing. The post-test FE model was updated to include the actual material behavior of the test car, and continued to give very good agreement with the test measurements. The test data is intended to be useful to entities who wish to develop FE models of tank cars under similar puncture conditions in their modeling validation and verification efforts. By comparing model results to actual test measurements, confidence can be developed in the modeling techniques when simulating other impact conditions.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L20119
• Record URL:
  • https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L20119#p1_z5_gD
• 
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/40277
• Corporate Authors:

  Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated

  55500 DOT Road
  Pueblo, CO  United States  81001

  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:
  • Carolan, Michael
  • 0000-0002-8758-5739
  • Rakoczy, Przemyslaw
  • 0000-0002-1924-7172
• Publication Date: 2019-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report; Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 157p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash tests; Finite element method; Mathematical models; Side crashes; Steel; Tank cars; Tension tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Behavior of materials; Computational models; Material models
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01706718
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FRA/ORD-19/12
• Contract Numbers: DTFR53-11-D-00008 Task Order 008
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: May 29 2019 2:19PM