CONTROL OF RAIL INTEGRITY BY SELF-ADAPTIVE SCHEDULING OF RAIL TESTS. FINAL REPORT

A guide for the scheduling of in-service tests of rail to detect defects is presented. The guide is designed for self-adaptation to changing track conditions, as reflected by the total rate of defect occurrence per test, the rate of "service" defect occurrences (i.e., defects found by means other than scheduled tests), and the tonnage of traffic carried between tests. The relation of numbers in the guide to the results of earlier studies is summarized. Conventions for using the guide are explained. Example applications based on both simulated and actual track conditions are presented. Several suggestions are offered for development of a performance specification based on the guide.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8994
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Orringer, O
• Publication Date: 1990-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 96 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Detection and identification; Detectors; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Rail (Railroads); Scheduling; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack growth
• Old TRIS Terms: Rail integrity
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00497185
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FRA/ORD-90/05, DOT-TSC-FRA-90-2
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1990 12:00AM