STUB SILLS ON TANK CARS. FINAL REPORT

The results of the study indicate that the head brace repair procedure provides an effective means for redirecting stub sill loads into the tank body, thus reducing stresses at the critical sill-to-reinforcing pad weld sites. The author's analysis indicates that the stub sill to tank interface stresses from longitudinal coupler loads are reduced significantly (by about 15 to 20%) and the stresses due to vertical coupler loads are reduced dramatically (by over 75%). The longitudinal coupler loads are most influential in terms of crack initiation, while the vertical coupler loads were found to influence crack growth to a greater extent. Therefore, it has been concluded that the stub sill designs, with the head brace properly installed, will exhibit significantly longer service lives before fatigue cracks form (if they form at all). Perhaps even more importantly, the introduction of the head brace should offer an important margin of safety in terms of crack growth life. In summary, the introduction of a properly sized and installed head brace should offer an effective means of reducing the likelihood of both fatigue crack initiation and tank rupture.

• Record URL:
  https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/stub-sills-tank-cars
• Corporate Authors:

  Battelle Columbus Laboratories

  505 King Avenue
  Columbus, OH  United States  43201

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Walsh, W J
  • Rice, R C
  • Ahlbeck, D R
• Publication Date: 1989-3

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 71 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Couplers; Cracking; Fatigue (Mechanics); Loads; Prevention; Rock fracture; Service life; Stresses; Tank cars
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack growth; Crack initiation
• Old TRIS Terms: Stub sills
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Railroads; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00494498
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FRA-ORD-89/01
• Contract Numbers: DTFR53-86-C-00006
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 31 1990 12:00AM