Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle

Railways are one of the most important means of transportation, allowing people and goods to move quickly, environmentally beneficially, and efficiently over long distances. To ensure safe and reliable operations, regular condition-based assessments of trains and track are of paramount importance. D...

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Main Authors: Cássio Bragança, Edson F. Souza, Diogo Ribeiro, Andreia Meixedo, Túlio N. Bittencourt, Hermes Carvalho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-06-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/12/6982
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author Cássio Bragança
Edson F. Souza
Diogo Ribeiro
Andreia Meixedo
Túlio N. Bittencourt
Hermes Carvalho
author_facet Cássio Bragança
Edson F. Souza
Diogo Ribeiro
Andreia Meixedo
Túlio N. Bittencourt
Hermes Carvalho
author_sort Cássio Bragança
collection DOAJ
description Railways are one of the most important means of transportation, allowing people and goods to move quickly, environmentally beneficially, and efficiently over long distances. To ensure safe and reliable operations, regular condition-based assessments of trains and track are of paramount importance. Drive-by methodologies, which utilize data collected by onboard monitoring systems as the vehicle travels over the track, have gained popularity as an economically viable strategy for monitoring extensive track networks as well as vehicles traveling on them. This paper presents a critical review of these methodologies applied to railway tracks and vehicles. It assesses research on track irregularities, rail conditions, and the condition of rail supporting elements, highlighting important early developments and recent papers that provide insights into future practical applications. Additionally, the paper explores works related to global vehicle condition evaluation, focusing on the identification of suspension and wheelset element damage and also discussing challenges towards commercial application. The findings suggest that drive-by methodologies have several promising future applications. These include track maintenance optimization, proactive fault detection, predictive maintenance, track performance evaluation, vehicle health monitoring, and data-driven decision-making. By leveraging drive-by assessments, railway operators can optimize maintenance efforts, detect faults early, predict remaining component life, evaluate track performance, monitor vehicle health, and make informed decisions based on data analysis. Finally, a comprehensive conclusion summarizes the achievements thus far and provides perspectives for forthcoming developments. The future practical applications of drive-by methodologies discussed in this review have the potential to revolutionize railway track and vehicle assessments, leading to safer and more efficient railway operations in the days to come.
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spelling doaj.art-a237154751ed4204b4b25f6fff3afc0a2023-11-18T09:07:20ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172023-06-011312698210.3390/app13126982Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and VehicleCássio Bragança0Edson F. Souza1Diogo Ribeiro2Andreia Meixedo3Túlio N. Bittencourt4Hermes Carvalho5Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, BrazilDepartment of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, BrazilCONSTRUCT-LESE, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, PortugalCONSTRUCT-LESE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, PortugalDepartment of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, BrazilDepartment of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, BrazilRailways are one of the most important means of transportation, allowing people and goods to move quickly, environmentally beneficially, and efficiently over long distances. To ensure safe and reliable operations, regular condition-based assessments of trains and track are of paramount importance. Drive-by methodologies, which utilize data collected by onboard monitoring systems as the vehicle travels over the track, have gained popularity as an economically viable strategy for monitoring extensive track networks as well as vehicles traveling on them. This paper presents a critical review of these methodologies applied to railway tracks and vehicles. It assesses research on track irregularities, rail conditions, and the condition of rail supporting elements, highlighting important early developments and recent papers that provide insights into future practical applications. Additionally, the paper explores works related to global vehicle condition evaluation, focusing on the identification of suspension and wheelset element damage and also discussing challenges towards commercial application. The findings suggest that drive-by methodologies have several promising future applications. These include track maintenance optimization, proactive fault detection, predictive maintenance, track performance evaluation, vehicle health monitoring, and data-driven decision-making. By leveraging drive-by assessments, railway operators can optimize maintenance efforts, detect faults early, predict remaining component life, evaluate track performance, monitor vehicle health, and make informed decisions based on data analysis. Finally, a comprehensive conclusion summarizes the achievements thus far and provides perspectives for forthcoming developments. The future practical applications of drive-by methodologies discussed in this review have the potential to revolutionize railway track and vehicle assessments, leading to safer and more efficient railway operations in the days to come.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/12/6982drive-byindirect monitoringrailway bridgesrailway tracksrailway vehiclesdamage detection
spellingShingle Cássio Bragança
Edson F. Souza
Diogo Ribeiro
Andreia Meixedo
Túlio N. Bittencourt
Hermes Carvalho
Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle
Applied Sciences
drive-by
indirect monitoring
railway bridges
railway tracks
railway vehicles
damage detection
title Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle
title_full Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle
title_fullStr Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle
title_full_unstemmed Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle
title_short Drive-by Methodologies Applied to Railway Infrastructure Subsystems: A Literature Review—Part II: Track and Vehicle
title_sort drive by methodologies applied to railway infrastructure subsystems a literature review part ii track and vehicle
topic drive-by
indirect monitoring
railway bridges
railway tracks
railway vehicles
damage detection
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/12/6982
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