Structural Response of Railroad Tank Cars During Acoustic Emission Testing

The successful use of Acoustic Emission Testing as a nondestructive testing technique for evaluating the structural integrity of railroad tank cars hinges on the ability to reach favorable stress levels in the areas where defects are located. This study investigated a general purpose car, a bar-reinforced car, and a pressure car under the influence of different loading stimuli. The cars were tested with the loads specified by the existing Association of American Railroads procedure for the acoustic emission inspection of railroad tank cars and with other loading methods. The tests conducted provide a technical basis for an alternative stressing procedure to be used in acoustic emission testing of railroad tank cars.