MRI506

Unit Description and General Aims

This Unit continues the recognition of the need for Rail Civil Engineers to have a sound knowledge and clear understanding of the behaviour of the main components of rail tracks.

The rail is the immediate interface between the train vehicle and the entire supporting system and is, therefore, the element that has the most direct effect on enabling or inhibiting train operations.

Aside from ballast and sleeper rectification as described in the “Ballast, Sleepers and Fasteners” Unit, this Unit examines the costs of rail wear and grinding, the requirement to eventually replace worn rails, and rectification of track geometry – which in combination make up the bulk of maintenance expenditure by the track owner.

In conjunction with the other first year Units, the intent is for this Unit to provide students with detailed knowledge of the key elements of the track superstructure and the important contributions which these components make to the operation of rail systems.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this Unit, students are expected to be able to:

1. Check and judge problems associated with the analysis, maintenance, and management of rails in track.
   • Bloom’s Level 5
2. Evaluate information necessary for and appropriate to the solution of those problems.
   • Bloom’s Level 5
3. Test and validate the characteristics of rails and the principles of the selection and maintenance of rails towards the safe operation of trains.
   • Bloom’s Level 5
4. Critically judge the operation of rail-related track structures and evaluate their maintenance requirements.
   • Bloom’s Level 5
5. Plan, generate, and construct appropriate engineering and/or management elements within a major case study incorporating rail and related track structures.
   • Bloom’s Level 6

Student assessment

Prescribed and Recommended readings

Required Textbook(s)

• Rail and Related Track Structures Study Notes by Rail Innovation Australia (RIA) [existing materials] and other information and materials on their website: http://www.railinnovation.com.au/

Reference Materials

A number of books, peer-reviewed journals and websites as advised below:

• Esveld, C., Modern Railway Track 2nd ed. MRT Productions, Netherlands. 2011, ISBN 90-800324-3-3. . Available at http://www.esveld.com/MRT.html and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Railway-Coenraad-Esveld/dp/9080032433.
• Doyle, N.F. 1980. Railway track design, chapter 3. Australian Government Publishing Service. https://bitre.gov.au/publications/1980/files/op_035.pdf accessed 10May16.
• Anon.nd. Rail standards procedures, Australian Rail Track Corporation. https://extranet.artc.com.au/eng_track-civil_procedure.html#rail accessed 10May16.
• Tuzik, R. 2014. Taking the long view: 20 years of wheel/rail interaction, parts 1 & 2. Interface (the journal of wheel/rail interaction). http://interfacejournal.com/archives/882 accessed 10May16
• Anon.nd. The Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. Proceedings of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F. SAGE Publications, United Kingdom.
• Anon.ND. The International Journal of Railway Technology. Saxe-Coburg Publications, United Kingdom.
• Other materials to be advised during the lectures.

Unit Content

One topic is delivered per contact week, with the exception of part-time 24-week units, where one topic is delivered every two weeks.

Topic 1

Introduction

1. Rail history, terminology, description
2. Rail manufacture
3. General issues of safety in rail maintenance

Topic 2

Loads On and Stresses In Rails

1. Rail standards
2. Loads
3. Stresses and stress calculation

Topic 3

Rail Deterioration

1. Wear and other defects
2. Corrugations
3. Rail joints

Topic 4

Rail Problems and Detection

1. Visual and non-destructive detection of defects
2. Inspection, measurement and classification of defects
3. Deterioration rates, and rectification intervention

Topic 5

Wheel Profiling

1. Introduction to wheel-rail interaction
2. Wheel profiling

Topic 6

Rail and Turnout Profiling

1. Rail profiling
2. Wheel-rail interaction and behaviour in turnouts
3. Turnout profiling

Topic 7

Rail Selection

1. Principles of rail selection
2. Design practice

Topic 8

Rail Installation

1. Rail procurement
2. Re-railing in track with different sleeper types
3. Rail adjustment
4. Cascading and transposing rails

Topic 9

Efficient Use of Rail

1. Lubrication
2. Rail grinding and welding
3. Insulated rail joints

Topic 10

Rail Maintenance Practices

1. Joining rails
2. Actions (cutting, drilling, bonding)
3. Rail stress management and repair

Topic 11

Turnouts

1. Operation and terminology
2. Turnout design and construction
3. Turnout maintenance

Topic 12

Project and Unit Review

In the final week students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunity will be provided for a review of student work, to clarify any outstanding issues and to work on finalising the major assessment report.

Engineers Australia

The Australian Engineering Stage 1 Competency Standards for the Professional Engineer, approved as of 2013. This table is referenced in the mapping of graduate attributes to learning outcomes and via the learning outcomes to student assessment.

Software/Hardware Used

Software

• Software:  N/A

• Version: N/A

•  Instructions:  N/A

•  Additional resources or files: N/A

Hardware

• Hardware: N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback