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Physical Infrastructure Systems
Center of Innovation

View PDF (PDF, 816 KB) (Posted 1/27/09) Director: Robert M. Dorer (Posted 3/4/09)

Trends and Issues

The Nation's fixed and mobile transportation infrastructure is in need of renewal and expansion. New approaches are required to ensure the viability of an aging infrastructure. There is a growing awareness of and concern about the ability of the infrastructure to withstand and recover from natural and human-made disruptions.

Vehicle impact energy management is receiving increased priority in response to a series of high-visibility rail crashes. It is essential that new work be developed and new research programs be initiated to respond to these needs.

COI Profile

In the face of ever-increasing demand and accumulated loads, the Physical Infrastructure Systems COI maintains cognizance and provides technical support in the inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the existing and future transportation infrastructure, including vehicles, guideways, and intermodal facilities. Maintains an internationally recognized knowledge base and provides technical support, including utilization of new materials, engineering concepts, and institutional approaches to ensuring the resilience of existing and future transportation infrastructure in response to natural and man-made disturbances.

Project Snapshots

• Developing Crash Energy Management (CEM) strategies for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). CEM controls the collision dynamics to keep the colliding interfaces in line and upright, preserves space for occupants to ride down the collision or derailment, and reduces the hazards from secondary impacts within the cars.
• Collaborated with FRA and industry on the Next-Generation Rail Tank Car Project, to design a rail tank car that will meet or exceed performance requirements while improving safety and security, including full-scale impact tests to evaluate the crashworthiness of rail tank cars under accident-loading conditions.
• Providing technical support to FRA on the transportation of hazardous materials by railroad tank cars. Supported efforts to understand metal fatigue and fracture in the current fleet of rail tank cars, structural behavior of rail tank cars in collision and derailment scenarios, and standards for future rail car designs.
• Provides technical support to FRA in developing revisions to the track safety standards that describe minimum conditions that allow operations of trains at speeds up to 150 mph. These standards cover all aspects of track construction from the roadbed to the track structure and geometry and include requirements for inspection, training, and qualifications.
• Supports the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of State in Iraq reconstruction efforts, including the development of specifications, procurement and delivery of railroad construction and maintenance-of-way equipment to Iraq Republic Railway, and development of a digital microwave radio communication network for a communications-based train control system.

• Supports the DoD National Airspace System modernization program through the development and deployment of large-scale, complex systems, and the provision of life-cycle support. This is part of a joint effort with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize current air traffic control (ATC) systems.
• Supported FRA by evaluating technologies and methods to enhance railroad safety, improve operational efficiency, and reduce congestion. Supports FRA's rulemaking process through the development of probabilistic risk assessment models for evaluating railroad safety performance with or without the new systems, such as Positive Train Control (PTC).
• Provided technical expertise to the FRA on all safety aspects of railroad right-of-way (ROW). Intersections with railroad ROWs present significant hazards for railroads and other intersecting modes. Highway crossings and trespasser incursions account for the greatest number of fatalities, injuries, and collisions in the railroad industry. The team continues to identify those technologies, methodologies, and hardware that will reduce hazardous conditions, improve awareness, and continue the downward trend of fatalities and collisions.

• Provided, to FRA and the Federal Transit Administration, analysis and reduction of risk through operational planning, training, technology deployment, and outreach to rail and transit systems with safety, security, and emergency management programs.
• Completed engineering designs and prototypes of a suitable replacement for the Halon 1301 fire suppression system, which uses a fire suppression chemical with no adverse impacts on the ozone layer for the U.S. Army's Watercraft Program.
• Developed the process for, and conducted the deployment of, over 100 air traffic control voice switching systems, and over 60 automation systems against a set of constantly shifting requirements for the U.S. Air Force.

For more information

Name: Robert M. Dorer
Director, Center of Innovation for Physical Infrastructure Systems
Email: robert.dorer@dot.gov
Phone number: 617-494-3481