Railroad and Rail Transit Track Infrastructure and Components

For a brief introduction video, watch our short video.

The RailTEC Infrastructure Group conducts research with an aim to increase railway safety and reduce life cycle costs through multi-faceted research projects.  Premature component failures and excess maintenance reduce operational performance and capacity.  Therefore, there is a need to more accurately quantify the demands placed on the track infrastructure as well as determine the remaining life of components in an effort to right-size the components for any given track.  RailTEC addresses these needs through the use of simulation (e.g., finite element modelling), laboratory (e.g., work at the Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL)) and field experimentation (e.g., revenue service instrumentation sites), as well as the analysis of big data (e.g., partner provided track inspection data). 

RailTEC is continuing to advance the industry’s understanding of concrete crosstie design and performance, the recommendations of testing, installation, and use of select fastening systems and other resilient materials (e.g., under tie pads), and the development of proactive data-driven maintenance recommendations; none of which would be possible without the tremendous and continuous support of our rail industry sponsors and partners.

To assist the industry in improving system safety, RailTEC at Illinois has key infrastructure research and testing thrust areas that touch almost all layers within the track structure.

 

fastening rail crosstie load

Track Loading Environment Quantification

  • Vertical, lateral & longitudinal rail loads

Fastening Systems | Traditional (spikes and anchors), Elastic, Direct Fixation, etc.

  • Lateral and longitudinal loads
  • Rail seat pressures
  • Displacements
  • Broken spikes
  • Rail seat deterioration (RSD) mechanisms

Crossties | Concrete, Timber, Composite, etc.

  • Flexural design
  • Moment quantification
  • Curl (due to temperature)
  • Load distribution

Resilient Materials

  • Under ballast mats (UBMs)
  • Under tie pads (UTPs)

Miscellaneous

  • Joint Bars
  • Under tie pads

Concrete Crosstie Literature

Downloadable Resources