ANALYSIS OF FRACTURE BEHAVIOR OF TANK CARS, PHASE 12 REPORT

The objective of Phase 12 of the RPI-AAR Tank Car Safety Project is to explain fundamentally the phenomena of tank car fracture behavior in accidents, particularly those fractures which led to violent ruptures. The Battelle Columbus Laboratories was engaged to conduct this research and Battelle's final report on the study is included. Battelle's charge was to examine all accident data accumulated under the RPI-AAR Project and to supplement this with tests, accident site investigations, and other studies, as appropriate, to explain why the fractures behaved as observed. Based on the results, Battelle was asked how tank car modifications would alter the fracture behavior. This was done for all observed types of fracture patterns which were catalogued in scenario fashion. Conclusions are drawn on the effectiveness on reducing accident losses of various tank car modifications, particularly in the area of steel metallurgy and tank fabrication. These conclusions will be combined with the results of the RPI-AAR Phase 02 accident review to establish cost-effectiveness for each modification. From this recommendations will be made in the Overall Project Summary Report RA-00-1-22.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • An RPI-AAR cooperative program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • PHILLIPS, E A
  • Wenk, R L
  • Fessler, R R
  • EIBER, R J
• Publication Date: 1972-9-29

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 187 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alloy steel; Crash investigation; Fabrication; Failure; Fracture mechanics; Metal heating; Metallurgy; Risk analysis; Steel; Welding
• Uncontrolled Terms: Heat treatment
• Old TRIS Terms: Tank car safety research and test project
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080336
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads Research Center
• Report/Paper Numbers: Ra-12-2-20(R-143)
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 11 1976 12:00AM