RAIL WELD FAILURES AND NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION METHODS FOR RAIL WELDS IN JAPAN

In Japan, four types of welding methods, that is, flash welding, gas pressure welding, enclosed arc welding and aluminothermic welding have been applied to rail welding. All welds have been inspected by nondestructive inspection right after welding in order to assure the reliability of rail welds. It is thought that welds performed by a fusion welding such as enclosed arc and aluminothermic welding are less reliable than those by flash and gas pressure welding, because some weld discontinuities are easily generated. In this paper, the features of rail weld failures are analyzed and the inspection methods for rail welds in Japan are introduced. Moreover, the improvements of the ultrasonic inspection method for preventing rail weld failures are discussed. Consequently, the double probe technique of ultrasonic inspection method is suitable to detect discontinuities in rail welds. The relationship between weld quality and property, such as rupture load and fatigue strength, is clarified by applying this method to rail fusion welds. Accordingly, the rail weld failures have gradually decreased since the adoption of this inspection method to fusion welds. For the covering abstract see ITRD E122683.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0947644490
• Corporate Authors:

  ENGINEERING TECHNICS PRESS

  46 CLUNY GARDENS
  EDINBURGH,   United Kingdom  EH10 6BN
• Authors:
  • SHITARA, H
  • TERASHITA, Y
  • TATSUMI, M
  • FUKADA, Y
  • UEYAMA, K
• Publication Date: 2002

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 11 p.
• Monograph Title: THE MOVEMENT MONITORING OF A RAILWAY LINE - CTRL 440 - A CASE STUDY
• Serial:
  • PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE RAILWAY ENGINEERING 2002, HELD LONDON, UK, JULY 2002 - CD ROM
  • Publisher: ENGINEERING TECHNICS PRESS

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Condition surveys; Conferences; Failure; Loads; Nondestructive tests; Prevention; Railroad tracks; Strength of materials; Ultrasonics; Welding
• ITRD Terms: 3857: Condition survey; 8525: Conference; 5520: Failure; 5567: Load; 6216: Non destructive testing; 9149: Prevention; 1062: Railway track; 5544: Strength (mater); 6739: Ultrasonic; 3852: Welding
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Railroads; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00982695
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-947644-49-0
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 2 2004 12:00AM