Track Deflection and Stiffness Measurements from a Track

Recording Car

E.G. Berggren! & B. S. Paulsson2

lEBER Dynamics AB, Falun, Sweden, 2Trafikverket, Borliinge, Sweden

Summary: A new innovative measurement method for track deflection and track stiffness is
described. The method uses two different measurement systems of longitudinal level on one axle,
and by comparing them in a new way it is possible to distinguish loaded longitudinal level in
unloaded level and the effect of the loading. Displacement due to loading can also be interpreted
as track stiffness if the wheel load is simulated or measured. With the method a new dimension for
condition monitoring of trade is opened as stiffness and longitudinal level can be monitored from
a track recording car at the same time. By adding this new information an even better planning of
maintenance is possible as the combined information can give earlier information about future fast
degrading trade sections.

1. INTRODUCTION
The interest for track stiffness and track deflection
measurements has increased over the last decades [ll
Many different studies and experiments have been done
ranging from stand-still measurements and research on
safety to rolling measurements and inclusion in maintenance
management systems. From a modeling point of view, track
stiffness and variation of track stiffness is important to
understand certain phenomenon of track degradation and
appearance of forces and moments in the track structure.
From a practical point of view, there is often a need for a
deeper knowledge of tracle condition to complement track
geometry with focus on doing a better track maintenance.
Early indications of higher tracle degradation rates are
very important for a better planned maintenance, and the
combination of track stiffness and longitudinal level can
give new insights to this. In a recent study [2] parametric
excitation (track stiffness variations) at low wavelengths
(under 3 m) is highlighted as a dominating factor in the
generation of environmental vibrations as compared with
ordinary track geometry I longitudinal level. Large rail
bending moments are an important source of rail crack
growth and risk of rail breaks. Hanging sleepers and soft
tracks, which are easily detected with the method, are
sources of large rail bending moments. Future studies are
believed to show correlations between measurements with
the new method and ultrasonic testing of rails showing rail
cracks.
A handful of countries now have devices to carry out
track stiffness or track deflection measurements, among
them USA, China, Switzerland and Sweden [1]. The main
drawbacks of available measurement devices are cost and
speed of measurements. As available devices mainly are
built as special vehicles, several large costs will follow
measurements as e.g. loco, loco-driver, measurement staff,
planning, time in track etc. Speed of available devices
normally ranges between 15 - 50 kmlh which will make
measurement more expensive and cause disturbance to
normal traffic.
This paper describes a new innovation [3] which
overcomes the drawback of available measurement
devices. By complementing an ordinary track recording
car with an extra measurement system of longitudinal level

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10th International Heavy Haul Association Conference, 2013
it is possible to find deflection due to the loaded axle and!
or track stiffness. The measurement contractor in Sweden,
Infranord, now have three track recording cars prepared
for deflection / stiffness measurements. An initial estimate
of price for the new method indicates a factor 10 - 20
lower price as compared with a slower dedicated vehicle.
Speed of measurement will not necessarily be limited by
the method, rather by the track recording car.
2. MEASUREMENT PRINCIPLE
A patent application [3] is @ed for the method described
in the following. The intention is to patent the method
in larger railway countries. Use of the method without a
license is not allowed.
2.1 Deflection
The method is based on the fact that a longitudinal level
measurement of a track being subjected to a loaded axle
comprises two parts. The first part relates to level variations
due to irregularities present in the unloaded track and the
second part relates to the extra deflection which is due to
the loaded axle. An inertial measurement of level (s[jx))
at position X should according to standards and common
practice always be loaded (six)), and thus consists of two
parts - unloaded track geometry (sJx)) and the effect of
loading (w(x,x)) according to Eq. l.
The double indexing of w(x ,xj) means that the deflection in
position X is caused by a load applied at xl'
Level can also be measured with a chord / versine method
and the simplest form is the three-point chord method.
Figure 1 show an example of deflection when the loaded
measurement wheel is placed in the middle (C2) and the
outer, possibly lightly loaded measurement wheels (Cl,
C3) are placed at some distance from the middle wheel.
0.5
E
E C3
- 1
-5 -4 -3 -2 1 0 2 3
-
Position [m]
Figure 1: Example of deflection profile for a loaded rail with
three-point chord of geometry 2 +3 m.
The mathematical description of a three-point chord level
system is according to Eq. 2.
Sc (X) = S eX) - (bs(x + a) + as(x - b))/1
where the three reference points of the versine measuring
system are in the positions x-b, X and x+a and where
1= a+b.
Inertial- and chord based systems has existed side by side
for many years. Some focus has been put into finding good
transfer functions in order to make the measurements
comparable. The inventive step in this method is to compare
them with the goal to divide unloaded track geometry from
the effect of loading. From this, both deflection and track
stiffness can be obtained.
The chord function according to Eq. 2 supposes that
the outer points have the same loading condition as the
middle point. If a proper deduction is made, with the same
notation as in Eq. 1, the chord measurement result is as in
Eq. 3.
sc<x) = SL (x)-(b(su(x+a)+lI'(x+a,x) +a(su(x-b)+lI'(x-b,x) / 1=
=Su+w(x,x)-(b(su(x+a)+Il'(x+a,x) +a(su(x-b)+w(x-b,x) II
(Eq 3)
In order to compare the measurements from the inertia
based system and the chord system, the level measurements
of the inertia based system are converted to the same
reference system as the chord system by substituting Eq. 1
into Eq. 2 such that:
SC_l (X) :=: su(x)-(bsu(x+a)+asu(x-b))/l+
(Eq 4)
w(x,x)-(bw(x+ a,x+a)+ aw(x - b,x - b))/ I
(Eq 1)
By taking the difference between the chord measurement
(Eq. 4) and the filtered inertial measurements (Eq. 5), a
result cleared from unloaded level is obtained (Eq. 6).
scjx)-sc(x)=
(Eq 5)
= (b(1\\x+a,x)-w(x+a,x+a))+a(w(x-b,x)-w(x-b,x-b)))/l
The contribution to the measured level originating from
unloaded irregularities in the railway track is thereby
eliminated.
4 5
Figure 2: IMV 100 with chord reference wheels around chord
mid axle / measurement axle.
If the reference points Cl and C3 are outside the deflection
bowl, i.e. if the positions x+a and x-b are outside the
deflection bowl, w(x+a,x) and w(x-b,x) are zero. In this case
the difference between the two level measurements can be
(Eq 2)
related to the load induced deflection without having to
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assume anything about the shape of the deflection bowl. In and Xl is the position of the load.
this case, the deflection of the railway track at the loaded
Inserting the difference between the two measurements
axle can be estimated from Eq. 6 directly. Approximately,
the deflection is equal to into the beam equation, i.e. inserting Eq.l0 into Eq.6,
yields:
'w(x,x):=: SC_l (X) - scCx):=:
Q(x)L(x)J -l�IL(')( s( a (I�)
. Q(x+a)L(x+a)J
(Eq 7) Sc I (x (-'.)_b
.) -Sc -- (--- e co - ) +SIIl )+
:=: -(bw(x+ a,x+ a)+ aw(x - b,x - b))/ I
-
- I 8El L(x) L(x) 8EI
- )- - )
L(-x,-_b (Eq 11)
a Q(x)L(x)J +�IL(') s(b . ",-Q(x-,-_b
) ) -- - ,-
- -J,-- )
(co - ) +SIIl
Preferably, however, the deflection is estimated by an +- (---e
I 8El L(x)
(I�b
L(x) 8El
inverse filter described by the z-transform as in Eq. 8.
-1
H(z):=: ---- This is a nonlinear relationship between the parameters leveL
b a
-z of,'+-z -bf,' (Eq 8) force and stiffness. This can be solved by various techniques
I I yielding the value of the stiffness. Using a nonlinear Kalman
where H(z) is the inverse transfer function and is is the filter is one alternative. When the stiffness variations of the
chosen sampling frequency. track has been found, the actual deflection w(x,x) according
to Eq. 10 can easily be calculated.
2.2 Track stiffness

With a straightforward definition, stiffness is force divided

by displacement. Therefore, the force acting on the track
due to the loaded axle needs to be measured or estimated.
The simplest way, neglecting dynamic effects, is to estimate
the applied force by the axle-load divided by two (two
wheels on one axle) and compensating for the quasi-static
effect in curves. A more advanced method, still without
direct measurements, would be to simulate the force with
vehicle dynamics software. As track geometry parameters
(e.g. the level) are measured, these parameters could be
included in the simulation to account for dynamic effects.
The third way would be to actually measure the force
by some kind of wheel-rail force measurement system. Figure 3: IMVIOON in Vassijaure (Iron-ore line)
Several such systems exist on the market.
3. EXAMPLES
The next step of the method is to take advantage of well­
known beam theory to associate the level variations along During modernization of the track recording car fleet by
the track with the estimated or measured forces acting In&anord (contract holder for periodic measurements
on the track using, for example, an Euler-Bernoulli beam in Sweden), their three Plasser & Theurer EM80's
model on a Winkler foundation: were rebuilt and are now called IMVI00 (Infranord
a4w(x) Measurement Vehicle, max speed 100 kmlh). For flexible
EI--4-- + k(x)w(x) :=: Q (Eq9) use in all kinds of weather and vegetation/weed, the old
dx
mechanical three-point chord was complemented with a
In this equation, E, the elastic modulus, and l, the area modern inertial measurement system. Without planning
moment of inertia, are material parameters of the beam, i.e. for track deflection/stiffness measurements, the necessary
the rail in this case, l1'(x) is the deflection of the rail in the building blocks for the innovation are in place.
position x, k(x) is the stiffness of the supporting structure
Currently measurements are being used in two different
and Q(x) is the force acting on the rail.
projects. In the EU-research project RIVAS, Trafikverket
If this differential equation is solved, the result is: study the combined effect of level and stiffness on
environmental vibrations. In another project Trafilcverket
v( j
Q(x,)L(X,)3 1J-XIIIL(xl)( X-X, ' x-x,
X,X,) = COS(--) + Sill -- ))
1 e (Eq 10) studies implementation of results from the EU-research
8El L(x,) L(x,) project INNOTRACK. The main focus is seasonal
variation of track stiffness on the iron-ore line in the north
where of Sweden. Also a number of turnouts are monitored
with both level and stiffness to find early warnings of
malfunctioning turnout where stiffness is part of the root­
cause. Unfortunately the iron-ore examples were not ready
(Eq 11) in time for this paper; however the oral presentation will
include the seasonal variation study.

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From a test track in the middle of Sweden (Borlange some variations along this track section with low values
- Ludvika), track deflection and track stiffness was under 10 kN/mm as well as a few stiffer parts.
calculated with the new method. The results are shown in
A visual inspection at the position (km 47+400) with very
Figures 4-5.
high displacement / low stiffness was carried out. At this
Approximative w(x) for whole track point there was a clear hanging sleeper, crushing ballast
with obvious white powder. By help of a video camera
- 1 images were taken during a train passage. In Figure 6
E
oS -2
two images with and without a wheel passage are laid
u
[>: besides each other with a red line for comparison of the
r -3
.s vertical position. It is clear from the figure that a very large
Q)
.g-4 displacement takes place.
1:
� -5
1l 4. CONCLUSIONS
..
0.-6
.!!l
0 A new innovation for track deflection/ stiffness
-7
measurements has been described and exemplified.
-8 The method can be used from ordinary track recording
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
Position [km] cars if two measurement systems of longitudinal level
are used with different reference points, preferably one
Figure 4: Tracie deflection between Borlange and Ludvika,
measured trom IMVIOOS. inertial and one chord based system. The innovation
overcomes the drawbacks of most available techniques
From the measurements it seems as mean rail displacement for stiffness measurement in terms of speed and cost of
is around -2.5 mm for this part of the track. Values lower measurement. As an ordinaIY track recording car can be
than -4 mm are common and there exists even extremes used, measurements with the new method are undertaken
values under -7mm. at normal speeds and at very little extra cost as compared
IMV-stiffness of test track with a dedicated vehicle.

REFERENCES
1 E. G. Berggren Railway Tracle Stiffness - Dynamic
Measurements and Evaluation for Efficient
Maintenance, PhD Thesis, Royal Institute of
Technology (KTH), Stockholm 2009.
2 THE RIVAS PROJECT. Optimisation of the
fastening system and the sleeper: numerical and test
bench results. Deliverable 3.4 in RIVAS Project.
Union Internationale des Chemins de fer, Paris,
O�____�__-L____L-__-L____L-__-L__�____�__�
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
France 2012.
Position [km]
3 E. G. Berggren A method of establishing the deflection
Figure 5: Track stiffness between Borlange and Ludvika,
and/or the stiffness of a supporting structure, PCT­
measured trom IMVIOOS
application no. PCT/SE2012/050432, Stockholm
Track stiffness as presented in Figure 5 is the inverse of Sweden 2012.
track deflection when the wheel load also is taken into
account. With a wheel load around 13.5 tons, the mean
track stiffness of this track is around 30 kN/mm. There are

Figure 6: Hanging sleeper during train passage at position 47+400.

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