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University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS)

A Mechanistic Investigation of Concrete Tie Degradation in the Rail Seat - Related Links

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Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS)
Engineering Portable
EPOB4 1.100
Email: railwaysafety@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-8878
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USDOT FRA OST-R UTCs CUTC AAR/TTCI

A Mechanistic Investigation of Concrete Tie Degradation in the Rail Seat

University  Texas A&M University (TAMU)
Principal Investigators  Zachary Grasley, Ph.D., Civil Engineering (PI)
PI Contact Information  503B CEOB
College Station, TX 77843-3135
Office (979) 353-1324
zgrasley@civil.tamu.edu
Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization)  Federal Funds (USDOT UTC Program): $75,000
Total Project Cost  $75,000
Agency ID or Contract Number  DTRT13-G-UTC59
Start and End Dates May 2016 - December 2017
Brief Description of Research Project  Concrete rail ties often degrade prematurely at the rail seat. Such deterioration has been investigated by other researchers, but such studies have generally associated deterioration with a single environmental or mechanical source. In contrast, it is hypothesized here that rail seat degradation is due to a complex coupling of environmental and mechanical sources. Based on this unique perspective, the proposed research is aimed at developing an advanced poroelastic model and a novel, lab-scale model rail seat experiment in order to elucidate the role of enviro-mechanical coupling. Furthermore, based on the model predictions – validated by the experiments – new concrete mixture design and curing protocols that reduce the risk of damage to the rail seat will be crafted.
Keywords concrete rail ties, rail seat, degradation, deterioration, environmental and mechanical sources, poroelastic model, lab-scale model, concrete mixture, curing protocols
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/investigation-concrete-tie-degradation.pdf
Project Website http://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/research/infrastructure/investigation-concrete-tie-degradation/index.htm  
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