University	Texas A&M University (TAMU)
Principal Investigators	Peter Keating, Ph.D., Civil Engineering (PI)
PI Contact Information	709C CEOB College Station, TX 77843-3135 Office (979) 845-9969 keating@civil.tamu.edu
Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization)	Federal Funds (USDOT UTC Program): $25,000
Total Project Cost	$25,000
Agency ID or Contract Number	DTRT13-G-UTC59
Start and End Dates	May 2016 - December 2017
Brief Description of Research Project	The decommissioning of two truss railroad bridges has presented an opportunity to better understand and document the strength and fracture toughness of eyebar members. The eyebar members from these bridges have been in service for over one hundred years. A companion research project will fatigue test approximately half the available eyebars, the remaining eyebars are available for further study. The strength of the eyebars (both yield and tensile) will be determined through small-scale tensile tests. Fracture toughness will be evaluated using CVN specimens. Both the main body of the eyebar as well as the eyebar heads will be investigated. Additionally, the effects of heat-shortening on the mechanical properties of eyebars will be investigated.
Keywords	truss railroad bridges, strength, fracture toughness, fatigue test, tensile test, heat shortening, eyebar, CVN specimens
Describe Implementation of Research Outcomes (or why not implemented) Place Any Photos Here	Pending Project Completion.
Impacts/Benefits of Implementation (actual, not anticipated)	Pending Project Completion.
Report	http://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/_files/infrastructure/fracture-of-eyebar-members.pdf
Project Website	http://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/research/infrastructure/fracture-of-eyebar-members/index.htm