ASSESSING THE RISK OF TRACK BUCKLING

This article describes a new methodology that has been developed to help railroads identify high-risk rail track buckling sites. Considered to be one of the major modes of track failure, track buckling involves the sudden lateral movement of track resulting from thermally-generated longitudinal rail forces. There are high maintenance costs associated with track buckling prevention, but even greater costs resulting from derailments. The article describes the new track-buckling risk assessment methodology which uses site- specific risk factors to develop a site risk value. This risk value is then used to define the potential for track buckling and help identify mitigating steps. Buckling risk consists of a base risk and supplemental risks. The base risk factor is defined as the difference between the maximum rail temperature and the rail neutral temperature at the site being analyzed. Supplemental risk factors are based on traffic or track conditions, and affect the strength or neutral temperature of the track. Combining the base risk with the supplemental risk factors yields an equivalent temperature increase which directly relates to the risk of track segment buckling. The article then describes the application of the buckling risk factor methodology to 40 miles of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) track. The model identified locations with high-buckling potential and led to the implementation of preventive measures.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1763403
• Corporate Authors:

  Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

  345 Hudson Street
  New York, NY  United States  10014
• Authors:
  • Zarembski A
  • Grisson, G T
  • Lees, H M
• Publication Date: 2005-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 23-26
• Serial:
  • Railway Track and Structures
  • Volume: 101
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
  • ISSN: 0033-9016

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buckling; High temperature; Railroad tracks; Risk assessment
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00988239
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 1 2005 12:00AM