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
 BACKGROUND

1. Union Pacific Railroad Call

2. Test Out of Service Ties
3. Test Siding Ties
4. Test Plymouth Commuter Rail
5. Comparison of Impact Velocity
Results with AMTRAK Rating

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Impact Velocity and Echo Measurements

Impact Velocity Measurements

Compressional, Shear and Surface Wave Velocity
Moduli Values
Average Dynamic Strength
Crack Density

Impact Echo Measurements

Thickness
Delaminations

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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 Testing
Estimated 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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