Evaluation of Steel Tie Performance at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing

Abstract

The original construction of the FAST Track included a segment of steel ties, which remained in service from September to December 1976. A number of performance measurements were made during this period to determine the ability of the ties to maintain geometry, fastener strength, and lateral resistance. This report describes the performance of the steel ties in terms of these measurements.

During the services period, problems developed with the steel ties, which included bending and cracking of the rail fastener tabs, rapid widening of track gage, and as much as six inches of lateral track shift.

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