Investigation of material improvements to mitigate the abrasive wear mechanism of concrete crosstie rail seat deterioration (RSD).
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2014-11-01
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Abstract:To meet the increasingly stringent design and performance requirements due to increasing cumulative
gross tonnages from heavy-haul freight operations, along with increased high-speed inter-city passenger
rail development, improvements in concrete crosstie designs are needed. Rail Seat Deterioration (RSD)
continues to be identified as one of the primary factors limiting concrete crosstie service life in North
America. RSD refers to the degradation of material at the contact interface between the concrete
crosstie rail seat and the rail pad that protects the bearing area of the crosstie. Industry experts
consider abrasion to be a viable mechanism leading to RSD. A lack of understanding of the complex
interactions affecting the severity of abrasion has resulted in an iterative design process for concrete
crossties and fastening systems. The objective of this study is to quantify the abrasion performance of
rail seats by using a variety of concrete admixtures and materials. To simulate the abrasive wear
mechanism of RSD, a Small-Scale Abrasion Resistance Test (SSART) was designed by researchers at UIUC.
Additionally, a theoretical framework to model and predict abrasive wear was developed using
statistical techniques. Data obtained from the SSART and the statistical model will help the rail industry
mechanistically design concrete crossties by improving the current understanding of the performance of
concrete crosstie mix designs. Preliminary results show that the addition of metallic fine aggregates
(MFA), steel fibers, and the application of coatings improve the abrasion resistance of concrete
specimens
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