ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS

Transcription

1 R. Pichette CN Chairman DP&FC Committee C. L. Creech NS Vice Chairman DP&FC Committee ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS May 5, 2010 (Via ) Members, Damage Prevention and Freight Claim Committee Please find an electronic copy of VL 6-10, An Evaluation of Corrugated Drop Fillers and Hammer Sheets Used to Protect Lateral Voids in Closed Car Shipments of Unitized Oriented Strand Board When Stowed in a Double Staggered Method, attached for your information. A rail simulation test was conducted to evaluate using corrugated drop fillers and sized sections of oriented strand board (OSB) when used as hammer sheets to protect lateral voids in closed car shipments of unitized OSB and similar panel products when stowed in a double staggered method. Each end of the test car was stowed in a double staggered method where two adjacent layered units were crosswise offset at alternating sidewalls. The A-end of car was stowed with 42 x 35 OSB hammer sheets aside the top units to protect the load from lateral movement into an adjacent 18 crosswise void. The hammer sheets as applied during testing extended to within 3 of the sidewalls and performed as intended. The B-end of car was stowed with 12 corrugated drop down fillers by Down River to protect the top units from lateral movement into an adjacent 18 crosswise void. The drop fillers as applied during testing extended to within 6 of the sidewalls and performed as intended. The cost of testing was paid from the DP&FC test budget. If you have any questions, please contact us. Very truly yours, Attachment: VL 6-10 Bernard Bonk, Jr. Senior Manager Damage Prevention Engineering cc: TAG to develop alternative loading methods to meet the revised Rule 5 Damage Prevention and Loading Services, TTCI Highwoods Center, 7001 Weston Parkway, Suite 200, Cary, NC Phone: , Fax: TTCI is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads

2 TTCI is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads SIMULATION TEST REPORT An Evaluation of Corrugated Drop Fillers and Hammer Sheets Used to Protect Lateral Voids in Closed Car Shipments of Unitized Oriented Strand Board When Stowed in a Double Staggered Method NOTE: THIS TEST REPORT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF THE EQUIPMENT, METHOD OR MATERIAL TESTED TEST REPORT: VL 6-10 May 4, 2010 Report by: Bernard Bonk Senior Manager, Damage Prevention Engineering Damage Prevention and Loading Services AAR/TTCI 7001 Weston Parkway, Suite 200 Cary, NC TTCI. All rights reserved.

3 May 4, 2010 SIMULATION TEST REPORT VL 6-10 SUBJECT: An Evaluation of Corrugated Drop Fillers and Hammer Sheets Used to Protect Lateral Voids in Closed Car Shipments of Unitized Oriented Strand Board When Stowed in a Double Staggered Method SYNOPSIS: A rail simulation test was conducted to evaluate using corrugated drop fillers and sized sections of oriented strand board (OSB) when used as hammer sheets to protect lateral voids in closed car shipments of unitized OSB and similar panel products when stowed in a double staggered method. Each end of the test car was stowed in a double staggered method where two adjacent layered units were crosswise offset at alternating sidewalls. The A-end of car was stowed with 42 x 35 OSB hammer sheets aside the top units to protect the load from lateral movement into an adjacent 18 crosswise void. The hammer sheets as applied during testing extended to within 3 of the sidewalls and performed as intended. The B-end of car was stowed with 12 corrugated drop down fillers by Down River to protect the top units from lateral movement into an adjacent 18 crosswise void. The drop fillers as applied during testing extended to within 6 of the sidewalls and performed as intended. BACKGROUND: A review of Rule 5. Distribution of Weight - Crosswise of Car of Circular No. 42-J General Rules Covering Loading of Carload Shipments of Commodities in Closed Cars indicated that the permissible aggregate crosswise space of 18 was excessive and potentially unsafe. Engineering studies and modeling indicate that lateral forces created by load shifts into vacant crosswise space greater than 6 has the potential to cause adverse mechanical conditions resulting in a derailment in transit causing major interruptions of rail operations. A joint Technical Advisory Group (TAG) composed of AAR Damage Prevention & Loading Services staff, railroad damage prevention personnel and interested shippers was tasked to develop alternative load plans to address the reduction in permissible aggregate crosswise space to 6 or less in closed cars. During the initial TAG meeting held in Chicago on January 12, 2010, Mr. Roy Seim of Georgia Pacific offered a load of panel products for use by the AAR to develop and test alternative bracing methods for shipping flat panel products in closed cars. A follow up meeting was held with Messrs. Seim, Bennet and Brammer of Georgia Pacific in Atlanta, GA on March 11, 2010 to develop a test plan for a proposal by Georgia Pacific to adequately brace the aggregate lateral void in shipments of panel products to 6 or less. A test shipment consisting of 60 units of 48 x96 x 7/16 oriented strand board was shipped from Georgia Pacific s Hosford, FL mill to the AAR Transportation Technology Center, Pueblo, CO in TBOX for use in rail simulation testing. Rail simulation testing using the Vibration Test Unit was conducted during the week of April 26, 2010 at the AAR Transportation Technology Center, Pueblo, Colorado. 2

4 Those in attendance during testing were: Mr. Ken Brammer, Georgia Pacific Mr. Ray Short, ITW Shippers Ms. Tammy Drumheller, Down River Mr. Wayne Ronci, UPRR Mr. Kevin Conlon, CSX Mr. Mike Sandoval, TTCI/AAR Mr. Roy Seim, Georgia Pacific Mr. Marc Johnson, Allegheny/Down River Mr. Cliff Creech, NS Corp. Mr. John Green, CN Mr. Glenn McDonald, NS Corp. Mr. Bernie Bonk, AAR/TTCI LOAD DESCRIPTION: TBOX , a closed boxcar of 60 9 IL and 9 6 IW having 16 double plug doors, 15 end of car cushion units and a load limit of 206,700 lbs., was loaded with a total of 60 units of 48 x96 x7/16 OSB each unit weighing approximately 3,100 lbs. A No. 7 B Six stacks were stowed crosswise four units high in each end of car in a staggered stack method crosswise offset at double alternating layers. Each unit was unitized by application of AAR22 straps positioned approximately 20 from each end of bundle. Two 1½ x 2⅛ grooved risers per unit were used in combination with each package strap. An additional stack, No. 7, was stowed crosswise on the approximate center line of the car in the doorway near the B- left door posts. A 7 wide drop filler was used adjacent each side of this stack. One lengthwise stack was stowed 2 wide in the doorway with one 48 x120 Level 4 ITW pneumatic dunnage bag faced by one thickness of OSB and double face corrugated on each side and filling 9½ of lengthwise space at opposite ends of the stacks. Each dunnage bag was filled to approximately 11 psi. Two CWW105WOJ straps were used crosswise around the lengthwise stacks to protect against crosswise movement. The A-end of car was stowed with 42 x 35 OSB hammer sheets aside the top units to protect the load from lateral movement into an adjacent 18 crosswise void. The hammer sheets extended from adjacent the unit risers to within 3 of each sidewall. The B-end of car was stowed with 12 corrugated drop down fillers by Down River to protect the top two units from lateral movement into an adjacent 18 crosswise void. The drop fillers extended from adjacent the unit risers to within 6 of each sidewall. The total load weight was approximately 186,000 lbs. The anvil string was four standard draft gear cars having a combined weight of 265,600 lbs. 3

5 B-end (drop fillers) TBOX All stacks are loaded four units high Two blue units are on top of two yellow units and are crosswise offset to each sidewall A-end (hammer sheets) 14 i Room ft. 6.0 iin. x 9 ft in. Units 1,2,3,4,5,6 loaded with drop down filler protecting top 2 units Units 8,9,10,11,12,13 are loaded with hammer sheets under the top units only 7 Drop Filler 48 x35 Hammer Sheet Unit 10 Hammer sheet extends from adjacent risers to within 3 of sidewall 12 Drop Filler 4

6 DATA ACQUISITION: 1. One Lansmont SAVER 3M30 plus monitoring device was installed at origin approximately 4 from the floor at the A-right doorpost to measure vibration enroute to TTCI. The maximum lateral and vertical accelerations during transit were < ½ g. 2. Two Lansmont SAVER 3M30 plus monitoring devices were installed at two discreet locations on the test car during rail simulation testing to obtain pertinent acceleration data as noted in the following table: 5.1 mph towards A End mph towards B End mph towards B End mph towards A End Sidewall near doorpost Centersill near A end Truck Acceleration (10hz Filter) Delta V (mph) Acceleration (10hz Filter) Delta V (mph) Saver # Saver # Anvil Movement 43.75" 62" 86" 92" 3. One string potentiometer was located at the top layer of unit No. 12 located in the A-end of car and one located at the top layer of unit No. 2 located in the B-end of car to measure displacement of those units. Displacement of the units during rail simulation testing was minimal. Maximum displacement was.10 inches measured at each location. RESULTS: Following are the lateral voids measured between the hammer sheets located in the A- end of car and the drop fillers located in the B-end of car and the adjacent sidewalls. Unit No. Prior to Cycle No. 1 Post Cycle No. 1 Post Cycle No. 2 Drop Fillers 1 5 ½" 5 ½" 5 ½" 2 4 ¼" 4 ½" 4 ½" 3 5 ½" 5 ½" 5 ½" 4 4" 4" 4 ¼" 5 5 ¾" 5 ¾" 5 ¾" 6 6" 6¼" 6¼" Hammer Sheets 8 2 ½" 2 ½" 2 ¾" 9 0" 0" 0" 10 3 ¼" 3 ¾" 3 ½" 11 3 ¼" 3" 3 ¼" 12 4" 4 ¼" 4" 13 1 ½" 1 ½" 1 ½" Crosswise movement of all top layer units protected by the hammer sheets during VTU testing was less than ¼. 5

7 CONCLUSION: The load securement and lateral bracing applications performed as intended to maintain all units in upright vertical alignment and prevent movement into lateral voids greater than 6. DISCUSSION: A test shipment of unitized bundles of 48 x96 x 7/16 oriented strand board (OSB) was shipped from Georgia Pacific s Hosford, FL mill to the AAR Transportation Technology Center (TTCI), Pueblo, CO for use in rail simulation testing to evaluate using corrugated drop fillers and sized sections of oriented strand board when used as hammer sheets to protect lateral voids in closed car shipments of unitized OSB and similar panel products when stowed in a double staggered method. The shipment arrived at TTCI in good order with all lading, hammer sheets and drop fillers away from the sidewalls, except the hammer sheet at Unit No. 9 located in the A-end of car was tight to the right sidewall. Unit No. 9 proper, however, arrived 18¼ away from the right sidewall and did not move crosswise during rail simulation testing indicating that the hammer sheet itself moved 3 away from adjacent riser. 1 See photo pages. Several data files beyond those normally input for rail simulation of closed cars were run to maximize the test scenario. Those additional files included additional lateral inputs normally run for intermodal systems. In addition pitch and bounce, twist and roll, yaw and sway and grade crossing files simulating speeds of 30 mph, 50 mph and 70 mph for each input were run. As seen from the results tables, the movement of hammer sheets and corrugated drop fillers was minimal during all stages of testing. Movement of the top units adjacent to each sidewall was equally as minimal. The double staggered method of loading as described in this report would appear to be sufficient to preclude crosswise movement of the lading during normal car handling of oriented strand board and other similarly sized panel products having a comparable coefficient of friction. TTCI would like to thank Georgia Pacific, ITW Shippers and Down River for their assistance in conducting this Rail Simulation Test. Bernard Bonk Senior Manager Damage Prevention Engineering 1 The hammer sheets were cut approximately 3 short of the car sides and were set in place atop the third layer and more or less abutting the fourth layer risers. The hammer sheets were free to move laterally up to 3 into the void area independent of the offset units. 6

8 TEST PHOTOS B-end loading at Hosford, FL (drop fillers) 7 A-end loading at Hosford, FL (hammer sheets)

9 TEST PHOTOS B-end prior to testing at TTCI, green strapping not secured/not used 8 A-end prior to testing at TTCI, green strap not secured/not used

10 TEST PHOTOS Installing new air bags prior to testing at TTCI View of A-left side of car 9

11 TEST PHOTOS Installation of drop fillers View of Unit No. 5 with drop filler 5¾ away from sidewall 10

12 TEST PHOTOS View of Unit No. 9 with hammer sheet tight to sidewall View of Unit No. 10 with hammer sheet 3½ away sidewall 11