Global Rolling Stock

Car Builders are

exporting their cars to

more and more foreign

countries

The United States represents

a potential mass transit

growth market that has

leading rolling stock/railcar

builders from such countries

as Japan, EU, UK, South

Korea, China, Mexico,

Canada, and South America

bidding and winning new

transit railcar projects.

United States Fire Safety of

Passenger Railcars and

Locomotives are governed by

CFR Part 238.103, Appendix B.

This requires that all

passenger flooring used in the

vehicle design shall undergo

and pass an ASTM E-119 Floor

Fire Test (30 minute)

GENERALLY, THERE ARE TWO CARBODY

UNDERFRAME MATERIALS USED IN USA

ROLLING STOCK CONSTUCTION:

STEEL:

ALUMINUM:

5

ASTM E-119 Fire Safety Compliance:

Actual Floors under 30 minute

E-119 test.

Composite

Floor Panels

Copyright © 2006 Milwaukee Composites Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Simulated

Passenger

Load

PASS REQUIREMENTS:

1. No drop –thru of any floor

structure

2. No increase above 139

degrees C from ambient.

3. No ignition of cotton cloth

samples

4. No Flame-Thru’s

6

Southwest Research NFPA 130/ASTM

E-119 Floor Fire Test Cell (SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS)

Complete Floor

Assembly is

Mounted Above

Furnace

Gas Fired

Furnace

7

This is a photograph

of one of the test

furnaces available to

Perform ASTM E-119

testing.

A REVIEW

of

SOME BASIC TESTING

OF ALUMINUM CARBODY

SUPPORT MEMBERS AND

UNDERSTRUCTURES.

Composite floor system being

Installed onto test chamber

support for an indicative

research test. The intention of

this test was to understand

how an aluminum I beam floor

joint support would behave in a

fire test with no carbody

underpan, or insulation or air

gap.

Fifteen minute (15) minute time

duration.

Furnace Ramp to Temperature

was to ASTM E-119

requirements.

Desired full temperature:

704 oC (1300oF)

Tested @ Southwest Research Institute: San

Antonio, TX

HEIGHT:

3 cm (8”)

WEB

thickness:

3.1 mm (0.125”)

FLANGE thickness:

4.7 mm (0.125”)

6061-T-6 ALUM I-BEAM

Significant Aluminum

I-beam deflection:

going molten @ 6’:39”

into the test.

Aluminum I-beam has

broken away from

aluminum car support

structure @ 6’:46”

into the test.

Small Scale Fire Test: Top

Surface After Test.

Composite floor structure

did not fall into furnace

despite aluminum I beam

failure.

Washington Metro Area Transit

Authority (WMATA) 6000 Car

Floor Structure.

• Aluminum Extruded Subfloor

• Aluminum Extruded Side

Sills

• 164 carsets in service since

2008

The Phenolic Composite Floor

Panels were mounted upon

Elastomeric Standoff Tapes

and then All Floor Panels Were

Riveted to The Aluminum

Extruded Profiles Beneath.

Fiberglass Insulation

Between Phenolic

Composite Floor Panel &

Aluminum, Approximately

19mm (0.75”) thick.

Phenolic Composite Floor

Panels:

19mm (0.75”) thick.

ASTM E119 FLAME SOURCE

The ASTM-E119 Test Agency

Concluded the WMATA 6000

Aluminum Car Structure with

passenger floor was rated

for Fifteen (15) minutes.

Determine Fire Performance of

A Small Scale Passenger Floor

Assembly, Non-loaded,

Supported By An Aluminum

Corrugated Understructure.

Tested @ EXOVA Warringtonfire

(United Kingdom)

Corrugated Aluminum

Fiberglass Insulation

19mm Composite Floor

Altro Floor Covering

Note: @ minute 23:00,

corrugated aluminum

understructure began

to melt away.

Note: Recall that @ minute 23:00, aluminum began to

melt away, and now the entire aluminum understructure

is gone. The pink glowing material is the residual

fiberglass insulation previously within the corrugated

aluminum profiles.

The Phenolic

Composite Floor

Panel’s Bottom

Fiberglass &

Charred Balsa

Core Is All That

Remains.

A REVIEW

of

SOME BASIC TESTING

OF STEEL CARBODY SUPPORT

MEMBERS AND

UNDERSTRUCTURES.

TYPICAL STEEL (Stainless Steel) Carbody

UNDERFRAME WITH UNSUPPORTED

SPANS.

TYPICAL STAINLESS STEEL

UNDERFRAME FLOOR ASSEMBLY for

ASTM E-119 Thirty (30) Minute Fire Test.

Some Carbuilders use just a

single section of insulation

above the steel underpan, with

approximately 3 to 4 inches of

air as an insulation gap.

40

Thermocouples are

arranged throughout

the top of the floor test

specimen

Complete Railcar Floor is Mounted on the

Actual Carbody Underframe Assembly

and is Mounted Above Furnace

NEW YORK CITY

TRANSIT

R-160

41

All floor loading

specified by the transit

agency must be

simulated during the fire

test. Cinder blocks are

used to provide the

loads at specific

locations.

Tested @ National Gypsum Fire

Chamber (Buffalo, NY)

43

At least three (3) cable

holes through the floor

must be tested.

Exposed side showing cable holes

through the car floor assembly.

45

Fire Nozzles as they

look through the

viewing window of the

ASTM E-119 Furnace

during testing.

R-160 PASSED Thirty (30) Minute

Fire Test.

View Through furnace

window just after test is

completed showing red-

hot steel underframe.

EXPERIENCE GAINED with FIRE TESTING

USING ALUMINUM and STAINLESS STEEL

CARBODY COMPONENTS &

UNDERSTRUCTURES: Stainless steel car bodies utilizing an

underpan, and an insulation between the bottom of the floor panel and above the underpan has an excellent chance of passing an ASTM E-119, 30 minute test.

Aluminum carbody understructures, directly exposed to the fire source beneath the car during ASTM E-119 testing will have difficulties passing an ASTM E-119, 30 minute fire test.

During ASTM E-119, 30 minute testing, the entire fire platform assembly tends to deflect and skew, especially around minute 15 and beyond. Underpan assemblies tend to open caused by high heat stress allowing the direct flame source to access the bottom of the passenger floor panel. This can cause delta T failure.

Any air-gap that is part of any aluminum or steel underframe fire test platform assembly will cause a flame-through and should carefully be inspected and corrected before testing begins. Air-gaps cause fire test failure.

Special attention should be paid to the penetrations going through the test floor platform assembly. All penetrations should be properly sealed with fire stop compounds to prevent flame-through.

Most test authorities will highly scrutinize various coatings (fire preventive coatings such as intumescent blends, ablative layers) applied to the carbody underpan and underfloor assemblies to prevent heat build-up during ASTM E-119 testing. The concern appears to be rooted in that coatings may wear away during a thirty (30) year car expected service life, thus compromising passenger safety during a fire event.

51

GLOBAL

ROLLING STOCK

CARBUILDERS: • Using New Materials

• Steel & Aluminum Underfloor

The Industry Needs Constant

SUPPLIER/CARBUILDER/

TRANSIT AUTHORITY

TEAMWORK

PASSENGER

SAFETY

IS IMPROVED

CONTINUOUS

IMPROVMENT

REQUIRED TO MEET

ASTM E-119

FIRE SAFETY

STANDARDS

Our Industry Goal for All USA Rolling Stock/Car

Construction: Secure an ASTM E-119

Fire Test “PASS” For All Car Designs.

SUPPLIERS MUST

CONTINUE TO DEVELOP

MORE IMPROVED FIRE

COMPLIANT PRODUCTS &

SERVICES