NRM Ride Quality Assessment

RideQualityAssessment

WhoIamRickBellew,VicePresidentofCorporateDevelopmentWorkedforBNSFRailwayfor10years,startingasatracklaborer,workedmywaythroughmultiplepositionsendingwithRoadmasteronthreedifferentterritoriesthroughoutthecountry.FRATrackSafetyInspectorintheStateofNewMexico.LefttheFRAtorejointheprivatesectorwithHerzogandTransitAmericaServices◦ ContractOperatorforNewMexicoRailRunnerExpress◦ ContractOperatorforCaltrain

BeeninvolvedwithTrackMaintenance,Repair,Inspection,MechanicalEquipment,Operations,Agencies,andConstructionallofmycareer.SpentsignificantamountoftimewiththeStateofGoodRepairProgramforCaltrain(CTAMS),ContinuousImprovementprojectsforHerzogandTransitAmericaServicestoincludeproductprocurementapprovals,managementdevelopmentprograms,andmultipleCFRPlans.

Whoweare?HeadquarteredinOgden,Utah

Foundedin1975,incorporatedin1993

SpecializeinTieCollection,Rehabilitation,andSales◦ Pickupthetieswithgrappletrucks,SPSorMPMmachines.◦ Sort,grade,process,andrehabrailroadties.

PlantsinClinton,IA,GrandIsland,NE,andTucson,AZ.

ProvideTrackMaintenance,Repair,Inspection,Consulting,GrappleTrucks,Vacuumtrucks,VegetationCleanup,HomelessEncampmentCleanup,Part213.7Training.

AreyouallfamiliarwithRideQuality?

Correlationofavehiclesvibrationtothevehicle/trackinteraction(V/TI)forcesfordetectingissuesonthetrackorvehicle.

Traditionalgeometryinspectionsareperformedinfrequentlyduetocost.Ridequalitydatacanbegatheredatasignificantlylowercostpoint,muchmorefrequentlyandgreaterareascanbecovered.

Meanttoaugmenttraditionaltrackinspectiontechnologieswithday-to-dayridequalitydatawhichprovidesmoreuptodatesituationalawarenessoftheirtrackandtheirvehiclesandmayimproveoveralloperationalsafety.

RideQuality

Thecapabilityoftherailroadvehiclesuspensiontomaintainthemotionwithintherangeofhumancomfortandorwithintherangenecessarytoensurethatthereisnodamagetothecargoitcarries.

Dependson◦ Displacement,Acceleration,rateofchangeofaccelerationandotherfactorslikenoise,dust,humidity,andtemperature.

SperlingsRideIndex– OlderVersion◦ UsedbyIndianRailways◦ RideComfort– Vehiclebeingassessedaccordingtotheeffectofthemechanicalvibrationsonthehumanbody.◦ RideQuality– Vehicleitselfisbeingassessed

Aisthepeakaccelerationincm/s2,fisthefrequencyinHzandFthefrequencydependentweightingfactorsthatexpresseshumanvibrationsensitivity.Fisdifferentforverticalandhorizontalvibrationcomponents.

ISO◦ InternationalStandardsOrganization◦ Influenceofvibrationonthehumanbodyisexpressedbythefatiguetime.◦ ThreeLevelsoffatigueTime

◦ DecreasedProficiency,◦ ExposureLimits,◦ ReducedComfortBoundary

SperlingRideEvaluationScales

ComfortGuidelines– ISO2631Humanreactiontovibration◦ Functionofamplitudeandfrequencyofaccelerationappliedtothebody.◦ Thedirection(HorizontalandVertical)andcharacterofthemotion(Linearorrotation).

Frequencyrangeof1-80HzassetbyISO

Limitscoverhumansensitivitytoverticalandlateralvibrationtoperiodicvibrationexposuretimerangingfrom1minuteto24hours.

Uses1/3octavebandsat10Hz

WhatisrMetrixFrainspectorsareusingthesystemineachregion.(Iusedanearlyversion).

RideQualitySystem◦ Runsofflaptop◦ UsesAccelerometer– Tri-axialaccelerometer

◦ MEMSAccelerometer– AnalogdevicewithaniSensor.Measuresacceleration,tilt,shock,andvibrationinperformancedriveapplications.

◦ UsesaFreeScaleChipinsidewhichallowscommunicationwithlaptop.◦ USBMicroController◦ TemperatureCompensation◦ Calibratedannually

◦ GPSlocationprovidedbydeviceandGISmappingdataprovidedbytheFRA.

rMetrixRealtime,geo-spatiallycorrelatedridequalitydata

Software◦ Comparesthelongitudinal,lateral,andverticalaccelerationsignalstrengthagainstapre-definedsafetythresholdtodetectabnormalconditions(exceptions)– 49CFRPart213.333.

ExcessiveVerticalAcceleration◦ Profileorcrosslevelgeometrydeviations

ExcessiveLateralAcceleration◦ Alinementorgagedeviations

Abnormalvibrationdatacouldpointtoproblemswithwornwheelsortheprimaryorsecondarysuspensioncomponentssuchasspringsordampers.

Values49CFRPart213.333◦ CarbodyLateralPeaktoPeak– Highestpointofdeviationtolowestpointwithin1000mls,or1second.◦ .500gforce

◦ CarbodyVerticalPeaktoPeak– Highestpointofdeviationtolowestpointwithin1000mls,or1second.◦ .600gforce

Iftheinspectionreturnsnoresults,wecantightenthethresholds.Iftheinspectionreturnsmorethananticipated,wecanloosenthethresholds.

Reports•ExceptionListSummary

•ExceptionListDetailed

•CSVExportReport

•SteadyStateAccelerationReport

•WindowLimitsReport

•RideComfortReport(ISO2631)

•RideHealthReport(ISO2631)

•SperlingRideIndex

Whydothis?•Safety,ridecomfortandeconomyarethemajorfactorsbehindanysuccessfultransportationbusiness.

•HelptomaintainandplanforStateofGoodRepairFunds.

•DerailmentPrevention– Addedinspectionmeasurewhichcomplimentsinternalrailflaw,geometry,andvisualinspection.

AdditionalServicesThird-Partycomplianceinternalauditofyourcontractedmaintenanceofwaycontractor.◦ Thisserviceincludes:

◦ Areviewofatleastone-monthstrackinspectionrecords.◦ Railflawdefectrepairreview.213.113

◦ Railjointinspectionandweldingcompliance.213.121

◦ Continuousweldedrailplancontentsandfieldcompliance.213.119

◦ TrackInspectioncompliance.213.233◦ Switchinspectioncompliance.213.235

◦ Inspectionofrail(Internal)compliance.213.237

◦ Designationofinspectorscompliance.213.7a,b,candd◦ On-TrackSafetycompliance.214

◦ RoadwayMaintenanceMachineCompliance214

NRMprovidedinspectortoconductafullPart213inspectionoftheentiretrackstructure.(Aninternalinspection BEFORE theFRAinspection)◦ Thiscouldtakeaweek,orfourweeksdependingonmultiplevariableswhichshouldbediscussedpriortoschedulingtheinspection.

StateofGoodRepairAssessment◦ NRMcanprovideaninspectorwhowillconductafullorsampleSOGRassessment.SOGRassessmentsareidealwhenanagencywantstokeeptrackofthe

conditionofthetrackstructurepriorto,during,andafterthetermofacontracthasendedorisendinginthenearfuture.Thisallowstheagencytomakeadeterminationastotheconditionofthetrackbefore,andafterthetermofthecontract.NRMcanalsomakerecommendationsaftertheinspectioninordertohelpmakedecisionstoextendthelifeofthephysicalplant.Ratingsaretypicallybetween1and5,andcolorcoded.Abaselineinspectionshouldbeperformed,andperiodicinspectionstoassessiftheconditionhasimproved,ordegraded.

CapitalTieMaintenanceProgram◦ NRMutilizesstateoftheartsystemswhichallowourinspectorstogradeeachandeveryrailroadtiebetweenMPlocations.Theconditionisloggedintoa

ruggedizedpalmtoppilot.TheinspectiondataisuploadedintoasoftwareprogramprovidedbyZeta-Tech.Fromthissoftwaresystem,NRMisabletomakearecommendationontiereplacementusinganumberofvariablessuchas:◦ Replaceevery2,3,4,5tieclusters

◦ Buildacapitaltiereplacementprogramtobringclassuptoahigherclassforspeedincreases.

◦ Buildacapitaltiereplacementprogramforminormaintenance.

Whatcanwedoforyou?

RichardBellewVPCorporateDevelopment

NevadaRailroadMaterialsInc.www.nevadarail.com

[email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbellew

917CountryHillsDrive#3SouthOgden,UT.84403

801-391-1201