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august 2019 csengineermag.com 47 Inspections, per the Unified Facilities Code (UFC) 4-860-03: Rail Road Track Maintenance and Safety Standards 2008, are required on a regular basis depending on the level of traffic the railway carries. For example, monthly inspections are required for two or more movements per week. During which inspectors evaluate crossties, look for bolts out at joint bars, cracks in joint bars, and missing or damaged spikes. In addition inspectors consider track elevation, warps and cross lev- eling; wearing, breaks, switch points gauge, frog gauge, guard check gauge/face gauge, and ballast conditions. These inspections produce the condition indexes used to prioritize repairs and maintenance. New technologies can monitor the health of rails which may be advanta- geous to supplement MOTSU inspectors. According to the National Tie Association, MOTSU's crossties have an 18 year life cycle based on the region's relative moisture, rainfall and the material composition of the crossties. MOTSU has 100 miles of track which equates to 300,000 ties of which 16,700 ties should be replaced per year. In this respect, efficient management of the budget, personnel and equipment is crucial to stay on schedule. Proper crosstie maintenance prevents track closures. As such, MOTSU's tie crew sets and adjusts weekly goals. Recruiting, training, and retaining personnel is also a challenge. Out-sourcing this portion of the maintenance plan every five years may help maintain the replacement rate. Railroad switches are critical points of failure on any railway. MOTSU has 302 switches. Switch maintenance consists of the maintenance of the switches, turnout components, and switch ties. Around switches there is an average of 70 ties per switch which are 16 ft. long as op- posed to the 8.5 ft. long crossties along the remainder of the track. At MOTSU, there are approximately 6 miles of switches which also have an 18 year life cycle. Maintenance personnel use a tie extractor/inserter to replace crossties everywhere except around rail frogs. The rail frog is a piece of the track in a turnout designed to divert trains from one track to another. Since the tie-crew cannot use equipment, the work is manual which slows progress. In addition, classification yards are composed of numerous switches to move trains from one track to another. Classification yards at MOTSU consist of 7-11 sets of rails per yard. These rails are in close proximity to each other which compounds the maintenance timeline. Replac- ing the classification yard switch ties requires additional equipment and problem solving skills. In addition, switches require monthly or quarterly inspections and lubrication based on the operational demand. MOTSU has out-sourced the replacement of switch ties in classifica- tion yards in order to keep up with maintenance demands. Ballast is another important asset of a railroad. According to UFC 4-860-03, there must be adequate ballast to restrain the track laterally, longitudinally, and vertically under dynamic loads; and to distribute the load of the track and trains to prevent overstressing the subgrade. The railroad consists of tons of ballast. Ballast must be properly maintained at adequate levels and replaced when fouled. Fouled ballast is full of dirt which prevents proper drainage. MOTSU maintains rail-roadbeds using its inventory of specialized equipment. A well-drained rail-roadbed is essential to good track maintenance. Another factor to maintaining proper drainage is the design and main- tenance of ditches and drainage structures along the railway. Ditches and other drainage structures (culverts, drains, and drop inlets) must be of sufficient size and construction to handle the expected flow of water; and maintained at least annually to ensure the free passage of water. Following Hurricane Florence, most of the culverts along the railway required replacement. MOTSU must now keep them free of debris. OTM – other track materials – forms the final component of MOTSU's railway asset management plan. Other track materials include tie plates, anchors, and rail fastenings such as bolts, joints, spikes, and gauge rods. The maintenance of OTM is scheduled based on manufactures' recommended lifecycle, condition indexes and deficiencies identified during monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual inspections. Moving Forward: In the months since the railway assessment, USACE contracts for rail- way repairs are complete, and MOTSU's DPW railway maintenance department is moving forward, adapting its maintenance plan with a focus on strategic asset management to tackle the prioritized risks. The assessment team provided a report which clearly identified deficiencies, exact locations, and rated the severity of each deficiency. As a result, MOTSU now has a comprehensive view of current railway conditions for planning and budgeting – making the railway more resilient, com- pliant, efficient, and capable of supporting MOTSU's overall mission even in the event of a natural disaster. MEG VERMILLION, CPT, EN, is a project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District. Professional Liability is essential. Overpaying is not. It pays to have the right profes- sional liability coverage. But you shouldn't overpay. At Fenner & Esler, we're more than just brokers. We're A/E specialists. Delivering the right coverage and value to design firms of all sizes since 1923. With multiple insurance carriers. And a proven track record serving the unique risks of structural engineers. Get a quote — overnight. Visit: www .fenner-esler.com Click "Need a Quote" Call toll-free: 866-PE-PROTEK (866-737-7683 x. 208) Ask for Tim Esler. Email: tesler@fenner-esler.com T H E P R O F E S S I O N A L ' S C H O I C E S I N C E 1 9 2 3 S t r u c t u r a l E n g i n e e r s A x i o m # 7 tim@Insurance4Structurals.com www.insurance4structurals.com Professional Liability is Essential. Overpaying is Not. It pays to have the right profes- sional liability coverage. But you shouldn't overpay. At Fenner & Esler, we're more than just brokers. We're A/E specialists. Delivering the right coverage and value to design firms of all sizes since 1923. With multiple insurance carriers. And a proven track record serving the unique risks of structural engineers. Get a quote—overnight. Visit: www.insurance4structurals.com Click "Need a Quote" Call toll-free: 866-PE-PROTEK (866-737-7683 x.208) Ask for Tim Esler. Email: tim@Insurance4Structurals.com Structural Engineers Axiom #7

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