Quality Behaviour of Turnouts: Comparison, Problem Specification and Recommendation of Measures
Source abstract
Abstract
For future requirements, asset management of turnouts needs to rely on data-based assessment tools. These tools must enable the quantification of quality behaviour of turnouts and identify causes of poor behaviour. In this paper, we provide a toolbox addressing these requirements. We use track geometry as the main criterion for quality behaviour in combination with additional indicators, each associated with a different component, to understand turnout performance. The toolbox is applied to five similar turnouts to compare their performance. It is revealed that one of the turnouts performs significantly worse than the others. A deeper analysis can identify worn ballast in several areas of the turnout as the cause of poor performance. Problems in the ballast bed can be attributed to worn insulated rail joints as well as to stiffness changes in the transition areas of the turnout.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Railway Engineering and Dynamics · Railway Systems and Energy Efficiency · Mechanical stress and fatigue analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Railway Engineering and Transport Economy, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
ÖBB Infrastruktur AG, 1020 Wien, Austria
Voestalpine Railway Systems, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Funding
Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK)
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