IFB 138F-24 Specification.pdf

MBTA M.O.W. Division

Material Specification

April 2024

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

MAINTENANCE OF WAY DIVISION

TRACK MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

Engineered Composite Ties

SCOPE

This specification covers MBTA’s requirements for furnishing engineered composite crossties for use on rail transit track.

The general clauses of Section 1 of MBTA’s Standard Specifications for Track and

Structures Materials shall be integral with the provisions of this Section.

TYPES

Engineered composite crossties shall combine two or more materials (including selected reinforcing elements and fillers) in a matrix binder to obtain physical and mechanical properties that are superior to the individual components that constitute the crosstie. The general types of Engineered Composite crossties are:

• Engineered Polymer Composite (EPC) crossties – a system that incorporates reinforcements such as glass fibers and other property modifiers embedded in a polymer matrix.

• Fiber-reinforced Foamed Urethane (FFU) synthetic crossties – produced by molding continuous fiberglass filaments into a rigid thermosetting urethane foam resin.

MATERIALS

Engineered Composite crossties shall be manufactured to conform to the Drawings, the

Bid Documents, and as specified herein.

Engineered Polymer Composite (EPC) crossties shall be produced using a polymer matrix of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE), reinforced with materials such as fiberglass or polymeric fibers. No wood or rubber material in excess of 15 % is allowed.

Fiber-reinforced Foamed Urethane (FFU) synthetic crossties shall be produced by molding continuous fiberglass filaments into a rigid thermosetting urethane foam resin, so that the continuous fiberglass filaments are homogeneously dispersed into the thermosetting urethane foam, and the form maintains a completely closed cell structure.

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The materials used in the manufacturing of engineered composite ties shall not require the use of toxic preservatives or any other hazardous or leaching elements. Engineered

Composite ties shall be non-conductive electrically and shall resist decay and insect attack.

Water absorption shall not cause loss of strength.

In addition, the requirements of the following paragraphs shall also apply.

MANUFACTURE REQUIREMENTS

Design

Engineered Composite crossties shall be designed to resist rail seat positive and negative bending moments as well as tie center positive and negative bending moments without failure. Refer to AREMA’s Chapter 30, “Substitute Timber Ties” and “Concrete Ties”, for design considerations.

Engineered Composite crosstie design shall be based on a maximum load of 50 kips per axle, with four axles per car, operating at speeds up to 50 mph. Typical crosstie spacing (center-to-center) ranges from 18 inches to 24 inches. The maximum annual traffic is 55 to 60 MGT.

Engineered Composite ties shall be suitable for installation on open-deck steel girder elevated structures, conventional ballasted track and concrete embedded track. The expected service life of the Engineered Composite crosstie shall be 50 years. The

Engineered Composite crosstie shall support the dynamic loads of the trains without failure.

Engineered Composite Crosstie Properties

Engineered Composite crossties shall be able to hold the gauge of the track on tangent and curved track with values equal or better than those of a southern yellow pine wood crosstie. The minimum acceptable screw pullout test load value shall be

2,500 lb.

Engineered Composite crossties shall provide a minimum resistance of 1,000 psi to the rail seat compression test without failure.

All Engineered Composite crosstie top surfaces shall be non-skid and have a minimum dry coefficient of friction of 0.50 between the shoe sole and the top of the crosstie. The top surface of the crosstie where rail fasteners will be placed on must be flat. The side faces of the crosstie shall have dimples, textures or other indentations approved by MBTA’s Track Engineering in order to “lock in” the ballast or concrete that the crosstie will be embedded into. The indentations shall cover at least 65 % of the face, and have, on the average, a depth of no less than 1/8 inch. Indentations are not required for crossties to be used in the construction of open-deck elevated tracks. Dimples, textures or other indentations are not required for Fiber-reinforced Foamed Urethane (FFU) synthetic crossties, except that short

April 2024 tie blocks to be embedded in concrete (Type II/IIM track) shall have a groove on the side faces of the tie block, conforming to the Standard Track Drawings.

Engineered Composite crossties shall not exhibit degradation of mechanical properties when exposed to very cold (-10°F) or very hot (120°F) temperatures. In addition, the surface degradation of the engineered composite crosstie when exposed to UV radiation shall not exceed 0.003 inches per year.

Engineered Composite crossties shall not exhibit splits or cracks in excess of the following values:

• Any separation of the material, on any face, greater than 5 inches in length

(regardless of depth) shall be cause for rejection.

• Separation of the material over 1 inch deep or 1/4” inch wide, on any face, and longer in aggregate than 2 inches shall be cause for rejection.

Splits (defined as a separation of the material extending from one surface through the piece to an opposite or adjacent surface) shall be cause for rejection.

Dimensions

Engineered Composite crosstie dimensions shall be as indicated on the Drawings and in the Bid Documents.

Unless otherwise indicated on the Drawings or in the Bid Documents, Engineered

Composite crosstie dimensions shall be subject to the following (note: any manufacturing “protrusions” shall not be considered – the length and width of the crosstie shall be checked along its top face):

• A tolerance of plus ¼ inch and minus 1/16 inch in width.

• A tolerance of plus 1/8 inch and minus 1/16 inch in thickness.

• A tolerance of plus 1 inch and minus 1/8 inch in length.

The top surface flatness in the rail bearing areas shall be within + 1/16 inch. Rail bearing area for crossties up to and including ten (10) feet in length shall be defined as the sections between 12 inches and 48 inches from the centerline of the tie, except that for tie blocks the rail bearing area shall be defined as the section between 1 inch from each end of the tie block. Rail bearing area for crossties longer than 10 feet shall be as defined in Chapter 30, Section 2.1.3.1a, of the AREMA Manual for

Railway Engineering.

April 2024

Physical Properties

Engineered Composite crossties shall exhibit the following properties when tested, for qualification purposes, as per the listed standards and specifications below:

Mechanical Properties Test Method (*) Typical Value (*)

Density ASTM D6111-97 50.0 pcf Min.

Compressive Strength (Compression parallel to grain)

ASTM D6108-97 3,000 psi Min.

Rail Seat Compression (Compression perpendicular to grain)

ASTM D6108-97 1,000 psi Min.

Permanent Deformation Under Load

(Compression perpendicular to grain)

ASTM D6108-97 0.015 inch Max.

Flexural Strength ASTM D6109-97 2,500 psi Min.

Modulus of Elasticity (flexure) ASTM D6109-97 170,000 psi Min.

Shear Strength (calculated) ASTM D6109-97 1,000 psi Min.

Screw Spike Pullout test ASTM D6117-97 2,500 lbs. Min.

Perpendicular Dielectric (0.25 in), VPM

ASTM D-149 170 Min.

Arc Resistance, sec. ASTM D-495 120 Min.

Water Absorption, % ASTM D-570 0.2 Max.

Flame Spread (average value) ASTM E-162 185 Max.

Flame Resistance UL 94 HB (Pass)

Tracking Resistance at 2,500V ASTM D-2303 30 minutes Min.

Specific Optical Smoke Density

(within 4 min. after start of test)

ASTM E-662 200 Max.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion ASTM D696-91 0.00005 in/in/°F Max.

(*) For FFU crossties, test methods and maximum/minimum values shall conform to the requirements of

Japanese Industrial Standard JIS E 1203 for Synthetic Sleepers

April 2024

Smoke Toxicity - Gases emitted/ produced shall not exceed the following values when tested in accordance with Boeing Specification Support Standard BSS-7239, “Test Method for Toxic Gas Generation by Materials on Combustion”:

Gases

Average Values (Max. PPM)

Hydrogen Chloride 10

Hydrogen Bromide 10

Hydrogen Cyanide 10

Hydrogen Sulfide 10

Vinyl Chloride 10

Ammonia 500

Aldehydes 45

Oxides of Nitrogen 100

Carbon Dioxide 30,000

Carbon Monoxide 1,000

The Rail Seat Compression Test shall be performed as follows:

• A test specimen(s) shall be cut from a manufactured Engineered Composite crosstie with a cross-section of 6”x 8” (or 7” x 9” as an alternate) and a length of 36”. The crosstie shall rest on a flat surface.

• A one-foot section of 115#RE rail shall be secured to the top of the 36” crosstie by means of a rolled steel Pandrol plate, centered on the crosstie, fastened to the tie by means of two standard screw spikes. The rail section shall be attached to the plate by means of two Pandrol “e” clips.

• A vertical load shall be applied centered on the top of the rail head, along its vertical axis, in increments of 10,000 lbs., until crosstie failure or a maximum vertical deformation of 0.125 inches. The load at failure shall be recorded and the compressive (bearing) stress under the tie plate shall be calculated using the tie plate’s dimensions. Deformation of the engineered composite crosstie shall be measured and recorded and shall not exceed 1/8 inch.

The Permanent Deformation Under Load Test shall be performed as follows:

• A test specimen(s) shall be cut from a manufactured Engineered Composite crosstie with a cross-section of 6”x 8” (or 7” x 9” as an alternate) and a length of 36”. The crosstie shall rest on a flat surface.

• A one-foot section of 115#RE rail shall be secured to the top of the 36” crosstie by means of a rolled steel Pandrol plate, centered on the crosstie, fastened to the tie by means of two standard screw spikes. The rail section shall be attached to the plate by means of two Pandrol “e” clips.

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• A vertical load shall be applied centered on the top of the rail head, along its vertical axis, in increments of 5,000 lbs., starting at 10,000 lbs. and ending at 30,000 lbs. Each 5,000-lb. increment must be applied for one hour to the head of the rail; after one hour has transpired, the load shall be removed and the permanent deformation measured. The permanent deformation after the load is removed shall not exceed 0.015 inches.

The Screw Spike Pullout Test shall be performed with a standard 1” diameter screw spike of 5 ½ inches length. Pre-drilling of the Engineered Composite crosstie shall be allowed, except that the pilot hole diameter shall not exceed ¾” inch.

Tests of flame spread index shall be performed according to the requirements of the current ASTM Standard Test Method E 162, Surface Flammability of Materials

Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source.

Tests of flame resistance of Engineered Composite crossties shall be performed according to the requirements of the current ANSI/UL94, Standard for Tests for

Flammability of Engineered Composite Materials for Parts in Devices and

Appliances.

Tests of specific optical smoke density of Engineered Composite crossties shall be performed according to the requirements of the current ASTM Standard Test Method

E662, Specific Optical Density of Smoke Generated by Solid Materials.

Marking

Engineered Composite crossties shall be marked as specified below:

• Marking shall indicate the manufacturer’s name or trademark, the month and year of production and the manufacturer’s plant identification in figures at least ½ inch high. If dating nails are used, only the last two digits of the year of manufacture shall be shown.

• Marking shall be by either dating nails, hot-iron branding or tagging on the middle of the tie and/or timber top surface. When anti-splitting devices are applied, brands or tags shall appear in the middle of the top surface of the tie or timber. Tags, if used, shall be of stainless steel conforming to ASTM

Designation A176. Dating nails shall conform to the requirements of the

AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering chapter 3 Ties and Wood

Preservation, section 1.8, Specifications for Dating Nails, dated 1975 or later.

April 2024

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Inspection

The supplier shall retain the services of an independent inspection company or their own Quality Assurance personnel who shall inspect all ties before, during and after the tie manufacturing process according to this specification and other applicable AREMA specifications. The supplier’s Quality Assurance personnel’s qualification shall be submitted to the MBTA MOW Engineer department for approval prior to the inspection. Copies of inspection reports shall be sent to the

MBTA MOW Engineering department accordingly for approval prior to shipment.

Engineered Composite crossties and all materials and processes will be subject to inspection by MBTA’s inspector. The supplier shall afford MBTA’s inspector, at no additional cost to MBTA, all necessary facilities, equipment and labor at the manufacturer’s plant to enable MBTA’s inspector to perform proper inspections, as deemed necessary by MBTA, during normal working hours.

MBTA's inspector will make reasonably close inspection of the top, bottom, sides and ends of each Engineered Composite crosstie. Each crosstie shall be judged independently without regard for decisions on other crossties in the same lot.

MBTA reserves the right to make any additional inspections of the Engineered

Composite crossties during fabrication and after delivery to determine conformity to the specifications.

Copies of inspection reports shall be sent to:

Director – Maintenance of Way

Building 2 Arlington Ave

Charlestown, MA 02129

Any ties found by the inspector to not meet this specification shall be rejected and not delivered to the MBTA.

Testing

For qualification purposes, the supplier shall, at no additional cost to MBTA, have performed all tests necessary to assure that all Engineered Composite crossties are in accordance with these specifications. Tests performed by independent qualified technical laboratories acceptable to MBTA’s MOW Track Engineering may be substituted in lieu of performing all tests specified in section 81.2.4 of these specifications, provided that those tests are found to be equivalent in nature as the ones specified herein.

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SHIPMENT

All Engineered Composite crossties shall be shipped to the locations indicated in the Bid

Documents.

Engineered Composite crossties shall be banded in bundles of the same size and type.

Unless otherwise indicated, each bundle shall contain 25 crossties or less. The banded bundles shall be further banded together in units weighing less than 6,000 pounds each.

Engineered Composite crosstie bundles shall be identified with MBTA’s purchase order number, MBTA’s commodity number, the name of the manufacturer, the description and the quantity contained therein.

Bundles of Engineered Composite crossties shall be stacked and secured in an open bed trailer truck, suitable for removal with overhead cranes or high lifts.

DELIVERY

Material shall be delivered via road only to:

MBTA Charlestown Rail Shop, 21 Arlington Ave, Charlestown, MA 02129

Notification of delivery is to be made two (2) business days in advance to the Supervisor of Yard and Services, (617) 222-5290.

Any Engineered Composite crosstie which does not comply with MBTA's requirements or which, notwithstanding tests, inspection or acceptance at any previous time or location, is found to contain deficiencies, will be rejected.

Final acceptance of Engineered Composite crossties shall conform to these Specifications in all respects and will be subject to verification of count and inspection after delivery to the specified location, and receipt of required shipping documents and inspection reports.

Material is at the supplier’s risk until accepted upon delivery by an authorized representative of the MBTA.

The supplier shall bear the cost of handling and transporting rejected material, regardless of when or where the rejection was made.