• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.779-789
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• 2021

Cracks in railway sleeper are an inevitable condition and has a significant influence on the safety of railway system. Although the technology of railway sleeper condition monitoring using machine learning (ML) models has been widely applied, the crack recognition accuracy is still in need of improvement. In this paper, a two-stage method using edge detection and convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed to reduce the burden of computing for detecting cracks in railway sleepers with high accuracy. In the first stage, the edge detection is carried out by using the 3×3 neighborhood range algorithm to find out the possible crack areas, and a series of mathematical morphology operations are further used to eliminate the influence of noise targets to the edge detection results. In the second stage, a CNN model is employed to classify the results of edge detection. Through the analysis of abundant images of sleepers with cracks, it is proved that the cracks detected by the neighborhood range algorithm are superior to those detected by Sobel and Canny algorithms, which can be classified by proposed CNN model with high accuracy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.231-242
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• 2012

This research work aims to develop an optimal design using Finite Element (FE) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) methods to replace the traditional concrete and timber material by a Synthetic Polyurethane fibre glass composite material in railway sleepers. The conventional timber railway sleeper technology is associated with several technical problems related to its durability and ability to resist cutting and abrading action of the bearing plate. The use of pre-stress concrete sleeper in railway industry has many disadvantages related to the concrete material behaviour to resist dynamic stress that may lead to a significant mechanical damage with feasible fissures and cracks. Scientific researchers have recently developed a new composite material such as Glass Fibre Reinforced Polyurethane (GFRP) foam to replace the conventional one. The mechanical properties of these materials are reliable enough to help solving structural problems such as durability, light weight, long life span (50-60 years), less water absorption, provide electric insulation, excellent resistance of fatigue and ability to recycle. This paper suggests appropriate sleeper design to reduce the volume of the material. The design optimization shows that the sleeper length is more sensitive to the loading type than the other parameters.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.51-60
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• 2012

Concrete sleepers are essential components of the conventional railway. As support elements, sleepers are always subjective to a variety of time-dependent loads attributable to the train operations, either wheel or rail abnormalities. It has been observed that the sleepers may deteriorate due to these loads, inducing the formation of hairline cracks. There are two areas along the sleepers that are more prone to crack: the central and the rail seat sections. Several non-destructive methods have been developed to identify failures in structures. Health monitoring techniques are based on vibration responses measurements, which help engineers to identify the vibration-based damage or remotely monitor the sleeper health. In the present paper, the dynamic effects of the cracks in the vibration signatures of the railway pre-stressed concrete sleepers are investigated. The experimental modal analysis has been used to evaluate the modal bending changes in the vibration characteristics of the sleepers, differentiating between the central and the rail seat locations of the cracks. Modal parameters changes of the 'healthy' and cracked sleepers have been highlighted in terms of natural frequencies and modal damping. The paper concludes with a discussion of the most suitable failure indicator and it defines the vibration signatures of intact, central cracked and rail seat cracked sleepers.

• 한국철도학회논문집
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.374-381
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• 2017

국내 대부분의 선구에 부설된 콘크리트침목은 적절히 유지관리되지 않을 경우 열차 운행의 안전성을 심각하게 위협하는 요소가 될 수 있다. 이 연구에서는 최근 가장 강력한 적응성(adaptive)을 갖는 기법으로 활용 범위를 넓히고 있는 Adaboost를 이용하여 고해상도카메라로 촬영한 침목이미지에서 균열을 자동검출할 수 있는 알고리즘을 개발하였다. 개발된 알고리즘은 실제 침목에 발생한 균열 및 비균열 이미지를 분석한 후 도출한 균열특징을 이용하여 학습하였다. 침목균열 자동검출 알고리즘의 적용성은 48개의 학습이미지와 11개의 비학습이미지를 이용하여 검토하였다. 검토 결과 학습이미지와 비학습이미지 모두 균열폭과 균열길이에 대한 인식률이 90% 이상으로 나타났으며, 충분한 균열인식 성능을 갖는 것으로 나타났다.

• 문화기술의 융합
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.517-522
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• 2021

약 본 연구에서는 도시철도 교량상 급곡선(R=180m) 구간에 부설되어 있는 침목 하부에 방진패드가 부착된 자갈도상 궤도구조의 콘크리트침목 손상유형에 대한 원인을 검토하고, 침목중량화 및 도상자갈 개량에 따른 콘크리트침목의 손상저감 효과를 분석하였다. 이를 위해 대상 교량에 부설되어 있는 콘크리트침목의 손상(균열) 발생 유형을 조사하였으며, 종합검측차를 활용하여 획득한 궤도틀림과의 상관관계를 통해 비교·분석하였다. 또한 수치해석 프로그램을 활용하여 궤도구조별 콘크리트침목 구성품에 발생하는 응력을 검토하여 개량에 따른 콘크리트침목의 손상 저감 효과를 입증하였다. 분석결과 궤도틀림이 심한 구간에서 침목의 축방향 균열이 주로 발생하였으며, 수치해석결과 궤도구성품 및 콘크리트침목에 발생하는 응력은 4-Anchor를 사용하는 체결구조에서 하중 분산 효과에 따라 발생하는 응력 수준은 작게 나타났다.

• International Journal of Railway
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.85-89
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• 2014

The use of pozzolanic materials in concrete mixtures can enhance the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. By reactions with pozzolanic materials and calcium hydroxide in cement matrix, calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) increases and calcium hydroxide decreases in cement matrix of concrete. Consequently, the volume of solid materials increases. The pozzolanic particles also fill spaces between clinker grains, thereby resulting in a denser cement matrix and interfacial transition zone between cement matrix and aggregates; this lowers the permeability and increases the compressive strength of concrete. Moreover, the total contents of alkali in concrete are reduced by replacing cements with pozzolanic materials; this prevents cracks due to alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR). In this study, nanosilica is incorporated in cement pastes. The differences of microstructural compositions between the hydrated cements with and without nanosilica are examined using nanoindentation, XRDA and $^{29}Si$ MAS NMR. The results can be used for a basic research to enhance durability of concrete slab tracks and concrete railway sleepers.

• 한국철도학회논문집
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.270-280
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• 2014

이 연구에서는 연속철근 콘크리트궤도에서의 균열의 원인과 균열 발생에 미치는 주요 영향인자를 파악해 보고자 경부고속철도 콘크리트궤도 구간에서 균열 발생 현황과 발생 패턴을 조사하고, 연속철근 콘크리트궤도의 구조를 감안한 2차원 비선형 유한요소해석모델을 이용하여 슬래브 상부와 기층 하부의 온도차와 콘크리트 수축에 의한 연속철근 콘크리트궤도(CRCT)에서의 균열 발생 패턴을 예측하였다. 연구 결과에 따르면 온도차와 콘크리트 건조수축에 의해 침목과 슬래브(TCL) 경계부 및 침목하부에서 균열이 발달할 것으로 예상되고, 이는 현장 조사에서 발생한 균열의 발생 위치와 일치한다. 또한 온도차에 대해서는 열팽창계수가, 콘크리트 수축에 대해서는 건조수축 변형율이 상대적으로 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났고, 침목이 TCL에 매립되어 있어서 균열 간격이 반드시 철근비에 비례하지 않을 수 있으므로 이러한 CRCT의 구조적 특성을 감안하여 철근비를 정할 필요가 있다.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.80-88
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• 2006

In the present study damage behavior of resilient sleepers on concrete ballasts is analyzed. Cracks of resilient sleepers in a railway track system are concentrated on inside of blocks to which the tie bars are connected. Finite element analysis is performed by dividing a block into the straight section and the curved section according to the load condition of the resilient sleeper, and limited the interpretation within the range of resilience. In addition, the value of stress obtained from the interpretation was compared with the allowable stress of concrete to determine the safety. According to the result of numerical analysis, compared with the stress before unequal settlement, the tensile stress of the inside of the block increased significantly after the settlement considering the entire block, and the tensile stress of this part exceeded the allowable stress of concrete, so was undesirable in terms of safety. In reality, the arrangement of tensile stiffeners inside blocks connected to tie bars is improper in the design of resilient sleepers, and when unequal settlement occurs, tensile stress increases on this part and consequently causes cracking damage. It is necessary to arrange wire meshes or tensile reinforcing bars in a structurally safe way to reinforce the inside of blocks on which cracks are concentrated.

• 한국철도학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국철도학회 2009년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.1514-1518
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• 2009

Recently, railroad construction has been increased all over the world and as the train is getting high-speeded, there has been a need for guaranteed safety, so that a requirement for heath monitoring techniques for destruction that generated by gradually accumulated damages is now increasing. Especially the rail is crucial part that contact with wheel directly and delivers the train's load to a sleeper. It needs a technique that can guarantee a safety by sensing the possible cracks. In this paper, when train's load applied to the rail, strain distribution that introduced to entire length of rail is monitored using optical fibre. Optical fibre is used as a medium for measuring the strain and BOCDA (Brillouin Optical Correlation Domain Analysis) system is organized for measuring the distributed variation that implied to optical fibre. Optical fibre is attached at lower flange where tension is maximized when the load of train applied to the rail and strain gauge is implied together to compare the accuracy of measurement.

• 한국강구조학회 논문집
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.613-625
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• 2012

철도교는 일반적으로 설계하중에 근접한 열차하중이 빈번하게 통과할 가능성이 있으므로, 초기설계단계부터 여러 구조상세에 대해 피로특성을 충분한 반영하는 것이 필요하다. 그럼에도 불구하고 철도교에 작용하는 축하중의 크기 및 배치 특성, 피로에 대한 부적절한 구조상세의 적용 등으로 인하여 강철도 플레이트거더교에서 부분적으로 피로균열이 보고되고 있다. 상부플랜지와 복부의 용접이음부에서의 피로균열의 주요 발생 원인의 하나는 침목을 지지하는 주거더와 열차하중이 작용되는 레일과의 중심간격 차이에 따른 열차하중의 편심작용에 의한 것이다. 이 연구에서는 공용중인 강철도 상로플레이트거더교를 대상으로 현장조사 및 현장계측, 일련의 구조해석을 실시하고, 대상교량의 구조거동 특성 및 피로균열의 발생 원인의 규명, 보수 보강(안)에 대하여 검토하였다.