Embed Doc
Copy Link
Readcast
Collections

CommentGo Back

Download

11-11

May

2011

PPEERRFFOORRMMAANNCCEEOOFFPPLLAASSTTIICCCCOOMMPPOOSSIITTEE TTIIEESSIINNRREEVVEENNUUEESSEERRVVIICCEE

SUMMARY

Two types of plastic composite ties were tested on a6.8-degree curve at the Norfolk Southern (NS)Railway eastern mega site between Narrows andBluefield, WV. This test, as shown in Figure 1, waspart of the Heavy Axle Load (HAL) Revenue ServiceTest Program funded by the Association of AmericanRailroads and the Federal Railroad Administration(FRA). From November 2004 to May 2010, the testties were subjected to 282 million gross tons (MGT)of mostly HAL traffic and were capable of supportingHAL traffic with acceptable performance. Therewere no problems related to track geometry, gagestrength, tie plate cutting, cut spike uplift, orfastening system component failure.In April 2009, after approximately 230 MGT, theentire test curve was regaged because of wide gagein the adjacent wood tie spirals of the same curve.The plastic composite ties did not exceed wide gagelimits.Results from measurements taken with a light track

loading fixture and FRA’s T

-18 gage restraintmeasurement system test vehicle indicated thatalthough gage strength degradation and gagewidening were slightly higher in the plasticcomposite ties than in the wood ties, the trendswere similar to wood ties.Plastic composite ties tend to have lower bendingstiffness and lower toughness, as compared withwood ties. A total of five plastic composite ties fromone supplier broke during the test. After 212 MGT,one tie broke near its center at a void in the plasticcomposite material. Near the end of the test, fourmore ties broke along the cut spike plane as a resultof a wedging force created as the spikes wereinserted into hard synthetic tie plugging material.Pilot holes for cut spikes reduced the occurrence of cracks and plastic composite material buildupbetween the plate and the top of the plasticcomposite ties during spike insertion.

Figure 1. Plastic Composite Tie Test Zone at the NSRevenue Service Mega Site

11-11

May

2011

RESEARCH RESULTS REPORT 2 |Page

BACKGROUND

Since 1997, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.(TTCI), has been monitoring the in-trackperformance of plastic composite ties under heavyaxle load (HAL) traffic at the Federal RailroadAdministration

’s

(FRA) Facility for AcceleratedService Testing (FAST) near Pueblo, CO. Some of theplastic composite ties tested at FAST have been ableto withstand 39-ton axle loads. In November 2004, atest was started at the eastern mega site with NS tomonitor the performance of composite ties inrevenue service HAL operation conditions.

OBJECTIVE

The plastic composite tie test at the NorfolkSouthern (NS) mega site was conducted to evaluateperformance of these ties on an active HAL routeunder typical track geometry, train handling, andenvironmental conditions that exist in revenueservice but not at FAST.

METHODS

In November 2004, the plastic composite tie testzone was installed in a 6.8-degree curve betweenNarrows and Bluefield, WV. It consisted of threeadjacent subzones: one 75-tie section of compositeties from one supplier, one 75-tie control section of NS standard solid-sawn mixed hardwood ties, andanother 75-tie test section of plastic ties fromanother supplier.The test zones were monitored for track geometry

and gage strength degradation, using FRA’s T

-18 testvehicle and light track loading fixture. Ties were alsomonitored for tie bending, deflection, rail wear, tiecracking, and tie plate cutting.

RESULTS

In November 2004, new ties were installed, and atthe supplier

s’ recommendation

, the cut spikes weredriven into the plastic composite ties without firstboring pilot holes. Cracking in the rail seat areaoccurred in 4 percent (32 of 750) of the spikelocations of plastic composite ties manufactured byone supplier and in less than 1 percent (6 of 750) of the plastic ties manufactured by another supplier.In April 2005, after approximately 30 million grosstons (MGT), as a precautionary measure, nine tieswith cracks were replaced, and replacement tieswere driven into pilot holes, resulting in no crackingduring installation and a reduction in materialbuildup around the spike holes between the platesand tops of ties. The cracks that remained in trackdid not grow significantly during the remainder of their time in service. The cut spike holding power of the plastic material was not affected by the cracks.In fact, maintenance because of cut spike uplift wasnot required in either of the plastic tie test zonesduring the period of performance.In October 2009, measurements were taken tocompare the bending behavior of the plasticcomposite test ties with the wood control ties underdynamic train loads. Figure 2 shows the measuredmaximum downward and upward displacementresults.

-0.20-0.100.000.100.200.30

Five Measurements along each of the 3 Ties

M a x D o w n w a r d / U p w a r d D i s p l a c e m e n t ( i n )

Plastic Type 1ControlPlastic Type 2

Figure 2. Vertical Deformation Behavior of Plastic TiesComposite and Wood Ties

11-11

May

2011

RESEARCH RESULTS REPORT 3 |Page

As shown in Figure 2, the ends of the plasticcomposite ties bent upward much more than thewood ties, which is characteristic of the lowerbending stiffness of plastic composite ties ascompared with wood ties. Test results may indicatepotential long-term problems associated with ballastpumping around the ends of the ties and largebending stress in the tie plates, which have beenobserved for some plastic composite ties evaluatedunder the program at FAST.Railhead profile measurements were taken todetermine whether the difference in bendingstiffness between the plastic composite ties and thewood ties affected rail wear caused by HAL traffic.The results of four measurements taken during thetest indicated that the difference in railhead arealoss in the three subzones at the conclusion of thetest was less than 0.04 square inch (i.e., nosignificant difference).Gage strength degradation is gage widening as afunction of applied load and accumulated traffic/tonnage. For the duration of the test (282 MGT),the plastic composite ties performed in the respectof gage strength. Figure 3 shows gage strengthdegradation test results using light track loadingfixture. The plastic composite ties exhibited slightlyhigher gage spreading than the wood ties, but theyexhibited gage strength degradation trends similarto wood ties.In April 2009, the entire test curve including theplastic composite test ties was regaged because of wide gage in the adjacent wood tie spirals of thesame curve

—

not because of gage widening of

theplastic composite ties. The regaging procedure usedfor the plastic composite ties was basically the sameas that used for the wood ties relative to spikeremoval, spike-hole filling using a synthetic material,and respiking. Pilot holes for the cut spikes weredrilled at the locations nearest the edge of the ties.

Gage-Spreading StrengthChange (Increase) in Gage under Static 9 kip Gage-Spreading Load (LTLF)

0.000.050.100.150.200.250.300.350.400.450.50

0 M G T 3 0 M G T 5 1 M G T 7 9 M G T 1 0 0 M G T 1 2 8 M G T 1 5 1 M G T 1 8 6 M G T 2 0 8 M G T 2 3 5 M G T 2 5 8 M G T 0 M G T 3 0 M G T 5 1 M G T 7 9 M G T 1 0 0 M G T 1 2 8 M G T 1 5 1 M G T 1 8 6 M G T 2 0 8 M G T 2 3 5 M G T 2 5 8 M G T 0 M G T 3 0 M G T 5 1 M G T 7 9 M G T 1 0 0 M G T 1 2 8 M G T 1 5 1 M G T 1 8 6 M G T 2 0 8 M G T 2 3 5 M G T 2 5 8 M G T

Control ZonePlastic Type 1Plastic Type 2

( C h a n g e i n G a g e u n d e r L o a d ( i n . )

Average Delta Railbase Gage (in)Average Delta Railhead Gage (in)

Figure 3. Gage Strength Degradation Test Results

Figure 3 also shows the increased gage strength(reduced gage widening) in the three subzonesresulting from regaging (done after 208 MGT butbefore 235 MGT measurements).In April 2010, the final track gage measurementswere taken in the plastic composite tie and wood tie

control test zones using FRA’s T

-18 GRMS testvehicle. Figure 4 shows the unloaded gage results,which indicate slightly higher but similar gage in theplastic composite tie zones as compared with thewood tie control zone.

Plastic Composite Tie TestFRA T-18 Unloaded Gage - April 2010

5656.55757.5580100200300400500600

Feet

I n c h e

PolywoodControlTieTek

Plastic Type 1ControlPlastic Type 2

I n c h e s

58.057.557.056.556.0

Figure 4. Unloaded Track Gage Test Results of Test Zone

The effect of ambient temperature on the unloadedtrack gage over a 54F range (27

–

81F) indicate thefollowing maximum changes in gage: 0.24 inch forone type of plastic tie type to 0.5 inch for anotherplastic tie type, and wood ties 0.16 inch.