Volpe Center | Information Resources

Information Resources

Volpe Center Highlights

Safety

Promote public health and safety by working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths, injuries, and property damage.

Enhancing Safety Through Railroad Research (FRA)

Dr. Andrew Kish, of the Center's Structures and Dynamics Division, was recently at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO, to represent the FRA on a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on the FRA/Association of American Railroads (FRA/AAR) Vehicle Track Systems Track Panel Shift Research Program. The TAG is an industry advisory group established to provide technical oversight and advice to the project, and to review its activities. Railroad representation includes the Canadian Pacific, Conrail, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific Southern Pacific, and Norfolk Southern. The purpose of the meeting was to review AAR results to date, integrate current FRA/Volpe Center research on high-speed rail track shift with the AAR work, and to establish requirements for the next phase of the program. As part of the agenda, Dr. Kish provided a briefing on the Center's ongoing track shift research program that addresses the lateral strength and alignment safety of high-speed guideway. In a separate activity, Dr. Kish participated in a working group meeting of the European Rail Research Institute Committee D202, in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The Committee, on which the Volpe Center provides U.S. representation, deals with the issues of continuous welded rail track buckling, safety, and maintenance. Dr. Kish briefed the Working Group on the Volpe Center's latest track buckling test results.

Passenger Equipment Safety Standards (FRA)

The Center's Structures and Dynamics Division supports FRA's Office of Research and Development by developing engineering data to establish safety standards for passenger equipment. Recently, the Center hosted the Passenger Equipment Safety Standards Working Group "Workshop on Research Needs in Passenger Equipment Safety." Its purpose was to present the status of current research and the plans for future research to Working Group members and to interested parties outside the federal government. The Workshop was attended by representatives from FRA, FTA, American Public Transit Association, and the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as railroad representatives and consultants, equipment suppliers, members of academia, and several state departments of transportation.

Rail Track Safety Research (FRA)

In support of FRA's Track Safety Research Program, a technical report entitled "Estimation of Rail Wear Limits Based on Rail Strength Investigations" was recently completed. The report, authored by David Jeong, Oscar Orringer, and Yim Har Tang, describes calculations to estimate limits on loss of vertical-height and side wear on the basis of rail strength. Rail strength was examined from two modes of failure: permanent plastic bending and fracture strength. The information will be used by the FRA Technical Resolution Committee to address safety regulation issues. Volpe Center staff also led a full-scale test at the Transportation Technology Center, in Pueblo, CO, to evaluate buckling strength of a recently constructed concrete-tie track segment. The buckle occurred at the predicted load levels, confirming analytic predictions. The results are expected to provide valuable input to establishing lateral strength and stability requirements of concrete-tie tracks for continuous welded rail.

Motor Carrier Safety Research (NHTSA)

Mr. Don Wright, of the Economic Analysis Division, recently presented the Volpe Center-developed SafeStat decision support system to Mr. George Reagle, Associate Administrator for the Office of Motor Carriers, and Office of Motor Carriers (OMC) office directors. SafeStat is an automated analysis system that employs a series of algorithms and safety data to determine the safety fitness of motor carriers. It has been pilot tested in five states supporting the congressionally mandated Commercial Vehicle Information System, which calls for the linking of federally determined motor carrier safety fitness with the state registration records of commercial motor vehicles. SafeStat also has application to programs that perform on-site compliance reviews and roadside inspections of drivers and vehicles. In February, OMC plans to employ SafeStat for their prioritization of motor carriers for on-site compliance reviews. The OMC Inspection Selection System is also being revised to use SafeStat scores to identify carriers for roadside inspections of drivers and vehicles.

Presentation on Rail Tank Car Safety Research (FRA)

Dr. David Jeong, of the Vehicle Crashworthiness Division, recently presented a briefing on the Volpe Center's FRA tank-car research activities at the 1996 North American Tank Car Research Co-ordination Meeting, in Washington, DC. The meeting, which was hosted by the Association of American Railroads, was attended by over 30 representatives from trade associations and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada. The meeting enabled participants to gain an understanding of present and proposed research efforts designed to contribute to improvements in railroad tank car safety.