United States Department of Transportation
i
Screw Spike and Spring Washer Hold-Down Force and Resiliency Investigation [Research Results]
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2022-09-01
[PDF-500.30 KB]
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Abstract:The Rail Transportation Engineering Center (RailTEC) at the University of Illinois (Illinois) is investigating spike failures in timber tie track to determine the root cause(s) and develop failure prevention strategies. This research is part of an ongoing investigation into spike failures sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that began in 2018. Through modeling, laboratory, and field work, RailTEC has discovered that maintaining friction between tie plates and ties reduces the stress on spikes up to 80 percent (Dersch, 2022). Screw spikes installed with spring washers is one way to ensure that friction is maintained in the fastening system. This report documents the laboratory testing of one, commercially available spring washer fastening system to quantify the spring washer’s resiliency, hold-down force, and torque-to-displacement relationship. The results show that the washer has a limited working range (low resiliency), and the installation torque varies widely. Additional research into washer styles and materials is recommended to develop a more effective spring washer mitigation method for spike failures.
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