Development of Rail Neutral Temperature Monitoring Device. Research Results

摘要

With the increased use of continuously welded rail (CWR), interest in accurately, reliably, and cost-effectively monitoring rail neutral temperature (the temperature at which the rail has no longitudinal stress) has continually grown. One cannot safely assume that the rail neutral temperature remains fixed at the installation temperature, as experience has shown that it, in fact, varies with time because of the dynamic loads that the track structure experiences. As a result, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development has initiated a research project to develop a cost-effective rail neutral temperature monitoring device.