Aurora Automated Inspection Capabilities on Concrete Ties and Fastener Systems

1. Aurora Automated Inspection Capabilities on Concrete Ties and Fastener Systems Gregory T. Grissom, P.E. Vice President – Engineering GREX -  Georgetown Rail Equipment Company 111 Cooperative Way, Suite 100, Georgetown, TX  78626 grissom@georgetownrail.com

2. Introduction: Aurora measurement system • Aurora is an automated railroad track inspection system invented in 2003 by Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX), Texas, USA. • Uses machine vision to create a three dimensional view of the track for the purpose of grading wood ties and collecting rail seat deterioration (RSD) measurements on concrete ties. • Collection optimized at 30 mph, collecting 2.5 GB per mile of data • Three US patents granted and several international patents granted or pending • Currently on the 9th maintenance release of the 2nd generation version of the software. Digital Imagery Concept

3. Concrete Crosstie Inspection 13,761 Concrete Miles Inspected Approx. 36,329,040 Concrete Crossties Inspected

4. Industry Need for Automated Inspection of Concrete • Ties and Fastener System • Inspection/diagnostic solutions at or near track speed • Rail Seat Deterioration (RSD) • Pad wear • Cracking • Missing/broken insulators • Missing/broken fasteners • Immediate defect analysis and reporting system to facilitate immediate feedback for appropriate corrective/preventive action

5. FRA 49 CFR Part 213.234 Requirements • July 1, 2012 • Automated inspection of track constructed with concrete crossties •  Concrete tie class 3 main track with passenger service, and Class 4 and 5 main track constructed with concrete crossties. •  The automated inspection measurement system shall produce an exception report containing a systematic listing of all exceptions to § 213.109(d)(4) • -Deteriorated or abraded at any point under the rail seat to a depth of 1/2 inch or more; • 3/8to 1/2rail seat deterioration as an alert

6. FRA 49 CFR Part 213.234 Requirements • July 1, 2012 •  An accuracy, to within 1/8 of an inch; •  A distance-based sampling interval, which shall not exceed five feet •  > 40 MGT twice annually (no less than 160 days between inspections) •  < 40 MGT once annually •  Exceptions must be located and field-verified no later than 48 hrs after automated inspection • Records kept for two years

7. 2012 Aurora Vehicle Enhancements/Improvements

8. Aurora Track Inspection Capabilities

9. Methodology for RSD & Pad Wear Measurement • Aurora measures the difference in height from the Top Edge of the Rail Base to the Tie Surface. • Call this Value “X” • The combined known thickness of a Standard Pad System & Rail Base edge • Call this value “Y” • The difference between the values of X & Y results in Aurora’s measurement of the indicated RSD

10. Rail Seat Deterioration & Pad Wear Measurement

13. 2012 Aurora Vehicle Enhancements/ Improvements Identifying ineffective tie/fastening systems • Cracked/broken concrete ties • -Determines if concrete tie has cracks or breaks • -Aurora has ability to see cracks as small as 1/16 inch in width •  Worn Pads • -Using the RSA measurement for concrete ties, estimates amount of pad wear •  Clips/Fasteners • -Capable of identifying Safelok 1, E-Clips and Vossloh fasteners, with current development expanding to other fastener types. • -Identifying whether the fastener is present, missing, broken or obstructed •  Insulators • -Identifying whether the insulator is present, missing or not in position •  Identifying wood ties interspersed with concrete ties and measuring corresponding lateral and vertical plate cut

14. Aurora Fastener Component Library

16. Cracked/broken concrete ties

17. Configured with less than two fasteners on the same rail except as provided in § 213.127(c).

21. Identifying wood ties interspersed with concrete ties and measuring corresponding lateral and vertical plate cut.

22. Proximity to rail joints

23. Rail Cant Measurements Aurora measures the difference between the Field & Gage rail edge heights to calculate the degree of Rail Cant

24. Rail Cant Measurements Aurora measures the difference between the Field & Gage rail edge heights to calculate the degree of Rail Cant

25. Aurora measures the Field & Gage rail edge heights every 1/12” along the track to calculate the degree of Rail Cant

26. Rail Head Rail Head Aurora measures the Field & Gage rail edge heights every 1/12” along the track to calculate the degree of Rail Cant

27. Rail Cant vs. RSD Measurements • GREX has analyzed several hundred miles of rail cant and RSD as measured by Aurora. •  Analyses have largely been inconclusive aside from the following: • - Within Aurora data, instances of outward rail cant > 1.5 degrees do not trend with significant RSD measurement • -Aurora’s rail cant measurement does correlate to clusters of missing, poorly seated, and/or defective gage side fasteners •  GREX has provided RSD measurements to compare to systems measuring rail cant with higher lateral and vertical track loadings. Results forthcoming.

28. Variables Impacting Measurements Aurora vehicles are optimized to operate at 30 mph in both day and night.  Aurora does not operate during rain, snow, etc. or when encountering extreme temperatures (below 32 F or above 120 F).  It is recommended that tracks are broomed prior to inspection, but Aurora has functionality to handle partially obstructed ties.  Aurora also reports percentage of a tie that is obstructed and further provides a summary by mile of number of obstructed ties.

29. Questions