Background:
Squats can cause deep defects
requiring relatively new rail to be discarded. Current practice is
to grind out rail squats and weld back material to replace that
missing. This is labour intensive and may not prevent the
squat from redeveloping.
Objective:
The aim of the project is to examine
the formation of rail squats, with an aim to identify formation
mechanisms, and to investigate methods of prevention of rail
squats. The project will also seek to identify the effects of
changes in operating conditions on squat formation.
Project
scope:
Existing data from industry partners
will be collated, and more data gathered. At selected sites,
testing will be carried out to identify the load spectra and
variation of wheel rotation speed associated with a wheel
traversing a squat. The project will also involve development
of modelling tools as appropriate to understanding the conditions
in the early development of a squat.
Benefits
The project has the potential to
reduce rail maintenance costs as well as increase life of rail
assests.
Expected outcomes:
Expected outcomes of this project
include rules for avoiding conditions of squat formation, models
for predicting initiation and growth, manuals for classification,
detection, measurement and minimization of squat initiation and
growth, tools for early detection as well as pro-active strategies
for network management of squats.
Project
timeframe:
3 year project
Project
Chair:
Malcolm Kerr, Manager Engineering
Standards and Services, Railcorp
Project
Leader:
Dr Bill Daniel and Dr Paul Meehan,
Senior Lecturers, University of Queensland
Tel: (07) 3365 3584
Email: billd@uq.edu.au
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