Feasibility Study of Manufacturing Experimental Sample for Composite Insulated Rail Joint

Insulated rail joints are one of the most important components of the railroad and their failure, deals a massive financial loss for our country. Usually, these joints are bearing different dynamic and quasi-static loads such as tensile load and bending moment. In this research, design and construction of insulated rail joints from composite material was examined, due to their optimized performance rather than conventional materials. The composite epoxy/glass fiber was chosen as a material for insulated rail joints, based on the failures accrued for conventional insulated rail joints. To evaluate the mechanical properties of composite samples, the tension, three point bending and hardness experiments were carried out based on ASTM standards. The results showed that the improvement of mechanical and flexural strength of composite insulated rail joints in comparison with conventional insulated rail joints. In addition, the estimated cost of composite insulated rail joints was decreased by 40 percent to European companies.