Surface analysis is a very important measurement for track maintenance for Railroad Tracks, because deviations in surface geometry indicate where potential defects may exist. A rail surface defects inspection method based on computer vision system is proposed in the paper. Various algorithms related denoising, filtering, thresholding; segmentation and feature extraction are applied for processi...

This paper presents findings from on ongoing research study at the University of Illinois focusing on the instrumentation and performance monitoring of railroad bridge approaches using multidepth deflectometers and strain gauges. Different sensors installed at the selected approaches are introduced, and details of the instrumentation activity are explained. Example track settlement data acquire...

Concrete sleepers have been widely used throughout the world as an alternative for timber sleepers. In North America, heavy-haul railroads have increased their use of concrete sleepers in recent years for a variety of factors. According to an international survey conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), railroad industry representatives consider center ...

PURPOSE The aim was to evaluate the anterior and posterior corneal topographic characteristics of three patients with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD) using a rotating Scheimpflug camera combined with a Placido disc system (Sirius, CSO, Italy). CASE REPORTS Two children with unilateral PPCD and a 53-year-old woman with bilateral PPCD were diagnosed by the presence of vesicles a...

The practice of construction and operation railroads in the Arctic zone shows that greatest share track deformations occurs summer period during transition soils subgrade from frozen state to thawed state. Wetting, freezing-thawing, vibrodynamic effects trains have influence on properties clay composing railroad bed. A model a sub-tie base stabilized by geosynthetic materials is given. material...

The number of railroad events reported to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance system increased from 84 in 1993 to 177 in 1998. Comparisons of data on railroad and non-railroad events were made. The results overall indicated a greater potential impact of railroad events on public health. A median number of 2039 persons were li...

The North American freight railroad network is projected to experience rising transportation demand in the coming decades, leading to increased congestion on many rail lines. Capacity is further strained by increased interest in increasing the speed and frequency of passenger service on shared rail corridors. Since passenger trains in North America predominantly operate on corridors where freig...