because of its long history in rail research and operating some of the most advanced rail research facilities in the world , including its newly-commissioned roller rig . The lab has secured more than $ 5 millions of rail research projects throughout its existence .
“ The importance of the American freight rail infrastructure can ’ t be overstated ,” said Ahmadian , director of the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety ( CVeSS ). “ With 140,000 miles of track , it ’ s important that we be able to monitor and work proactively to maintain and update the rail network to ensure operational efficiency , safety , and global competitiveness for the U . S . railroads .” The UTC consortium of universities aims at inventing and implementing technologies that will allow the U . S . railroads to integrate advanced sensors , implement better data analysis methods , and have a more timely assessment of the condition of the track and rolling stock .
The rail network , according to the AAR , supports $ 274 billion in economic activity in the United States . If the rail system were its own country , it would rank 41st behind Ireland , based on 2015 gross domestic product statistics from the worldbank . org . From wheat , corn and other agricultural products , to construction materials , and vehicles , rail delivers five million tons of goods each day . Ensuring the system is working efficiently and safely is part of what the UTC aims to do . More than 70 percent of bulk commodities move by rail in the U . S . Although often out of sight — unlike semi-trucks that are quite visible on highways — rail transportation is truly the backbone of the U . S . economy .
“ The three partners in our UTC will look at different areas ,” Ahmadian said . “ UNLV , for instance , will study bridge building near areas of seismic activity ,
MOMENTUMSPRING ' 17 track alignment and foundations , while our work will focus more on the health of the railway system by developing sensors to assess the system ; data analytic methods to process the large amounts of data we ’ ll be dealing with ; and testing our new technologies and methodologies .”
In total , Virginia Tech has five projects for the first year of the UTC . Many of the projects feature the use of sensors -- whether embedded in or making measurements on the top of the rail . Ultrasonic emissions sensors will help detect track rolling contact fatigue , and LIDAR , a form of radar using lasers , will be used to monitor the rail surface .
“ Virginia Tech ’ s role in this UTC is very important and we are well placed to provide the expertise necessary to the project ,” Ahmadian said . “ It ’ s certainly not a single group . We will work with our partner university ’ s and locally , our team is made up of mechanical engineers as well as civil and environmental engineers , and electrical and computer engineers . Together we will spend up to the first two years of the project assessing the problem and developing a range of creative solutions ; in years 3-4 we will begin implementing our solutions and validating the most promising ones ; and in years 4-5 we will field test our solutions and work toward commercial implementation .”
In addition to Ahmadian , Virginia Tech team members include : Andrew Peterson , senior research scientist , Masood Taheri , research scientist , and Carvel Holton , research associate , all staff members at CVeSS . More than 25 faculty members from the College of Engineering have participated in RTL projects in the past . The faculty members who are currently participating in RTL projects include : mechanical engineering Assistant Professor Reza Mirzaeifar , and Associate Professor and Steve Southward ; Assistant Professors Matthew Hebdon and Farrokh Jazizadeh Karimi of civil and environmental engineering ; and Professor Dong Ha of electrical and computer engineering . A large group of graduate and undergraduate students have traditionally been involved with the projects spearheaded by RTL .
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