NONDESTRUCTIVE CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF CONCRETE RAILROAD

TIES

Paul Fisk, NDT Corporation

CORPORATION

Nondestructive Concrete Testing Services 18 Years-600+ projects Developed Sonic/ultrasonic NDT

Equipment

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BACKGROUND

1.Union Pacific Railroad Call2.Test Out of Service Ties3.Test Siding Ties4.Test Plymouth Commuter Rail5.Comparison of Impact Velocity Results with AMTRAK Rating

Impact Velocity and Echo Measurements

Impact Velocity MeasurementsCompressional, Shear and Surface Wave VelocityModuli ValuesAverage Dynamic StrengthCrack Density

Impact Echo MeasurementsThicknessDelaminations

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Impact Velocity

Impact Echo

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Properties Detected by SONIC/ULTRASONIC Testing

Velocity Concrete Condition

(strength, cracking)Thickness Resonant

Frequencies Thickness Delamination

Signal Attenuation Delamination

Sample Test Data

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CONCLUSION

Sonic/ultrasonic results can be used to evaluate and document the current condition of concrete railroad ties

Ties can be classified as Functional Marginally Functional-should be retested in the near

future Non-Functional- take out of service

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Automated TestingEstimated 1 tie per sec

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SUMMARY

Sonic/ultrasonic pulse velocity data can be used to evaluate and document the current condition of concrete railroad cross ties

Ties classification correlates with systems currently used by rail roads

Automated Sonic/ultrasonic data acquisition is fast

(1 sec/tie)

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QUESTIONS ????

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