2022 On Demand Technical Sessions

Monday, August 29

Engineering Services Technical Presentation: BNSF Truxton Natural Crossover Project, Craig Rasmussen, PE, BNSF Railway, Audra L. Rodgers, PE, AECOM, and Ben Sullivan, Ames Construction


Maintenance-of-Way Technical Presentation: MTA Metro-North Commuter Railroad: Building of a Track Geometry Vehicle, Lariza Stewart, ENSCO, Inc., and Anamaria Bonilla, PE, Metro North Railroad


Track Technical Presentation: Class I Demonstration of LRAIL 3D Laser Scanning and Change Detection Technology and Development of Track Component Heath Indices (TCHIs), J. Riley Edwards, PE, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and John Laurent, P.Eng., M.Sc., Pavemetrics


Structures Technical Presentation: Repair of Collapsed BNSF Gateway Sub Tunnel #4 in Keddie, California, Carol A. Ravano, PE, McMillen Jacobs Associates, Hal Lewandoski, Jr., BNSF Railway, and Brett Mainer, Drill Tech Drilling and Shoring, Inc.


Passenger & Transit Technical Presentation: Eglinton Crosstown West Extension: Leveraging Technology to Enhance Program Management and Collaboration, Luv Sehgal, PE, Alexa Hinves, and Sven Sorhus, Arup


Monday Keynote Address: Lance M. Fritz, Chairman, President and CEO, Union Pacific

Tuesday, August 30

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Technical Session

Session Chair: Jerry W. Specht EIT, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Wabtec Corporation

Session sponsored by  

 

Artificial Intelligence Aided Grade Crossing Trespassing Detection and Data Analytics
Asim F. Zaman, Rutgers University


Onboard Broken Rail Research Development
David W. Khasenye, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) and Mohamad Khater, Association of American Railroads (AAR)


Detection of Bogie Performance Issues using Way-side Monitoring Systems
Aron Laurell Håkansson, Predge AB


Overview and Test Results of LiDAR Grade Crossing Sensor for Object Detection
 Robert Coppenhaver, Denso Wave 


Ultra-Wideband on Rail: Design and Testing of a Novel MOW Vehicle Collision Avoidance System
 Bryan W. Schlake, Penn State Altoona


Minimally Invasive Measurement of the Electrical Properties of Railway Track Under Operating Conditions
Stuart Landau, PE, MIRSE, Parsons Transportation Group and Edwin R. Kraft, PhD, Transportation Economics and Management Systems


Railroad Induction from Parallel High Voltage Transmission Lines
 David Guy Hancock and Frank Onesto, Burns & McDonnell


Advanced Cab: Serial Messages over the Rail
 Maximo H. Salinas, PhD, Alstom 


In-Vehicle Alerts of Approaching Grade Crossings and Trains – Report of Two Behavioral Studies and Technologies
 Pasi Lautala, PhD, PE, Michigan Technological University


Software-Assisted Signal System Troubleshooting and Training on the North County Transit District (NCTD) COASTER and Sprinter Services
 Zachary Taylor, Semaphore Software LLC and Justin Richardson, Alstom Bombardier

Tuesday, August 30

Engineering Services Technical Session

Session Chair: Michael K. Williams, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Norfolk Southern Corporation

Session sponsored by 

 

Impact of the Positive Train Control (PTC) on Rail Network Operational Performance
Hamed Pouryousef, Sharma & Associates

 

Engineering Considerations for Yard Automation Strategies
Jeremiah Dirnberger, Wabtec

 

UPRR Valley 140.02 Bridge Replacement: Complex Regulatory Permitting Processes in California for Urgent Railroad Infrastructure
Janet Hill, PE, Arcadis

 

Modernizing Rail Infrastructure at Federal Facilities
Ned Bagniewski, PE and Anthony D. Klaumann, PE, HDR, Andrew P. Fanciullo, PE, US Army Corps of Engineers Transportation Systems Center

 

AREMA Committee 16 Panel Discussion – PSR Engineering & Operations Economics
Richard S. Lanyi, P.Eng., Lanyi Rail Solutions Ltd. (Moderator), Jeremiah Dirnberger, Wabtec, Earl C. Wacker, Patrick Engineering, and C. Tyler Dick, PhD, PE, University of Texas at Austin (Panelists)

 

Case Study Comparison of Hazardous Material Unit and Manifest Trains Considering Mainline and Yard Risk
Di Kang, Rutgers University and Jiaxi Zhao, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Solving the I-490 Tollway - Elgin O’Hare Western Access (EOWA) Crossing of the Bensenville Yard Puzzle
Manar Nashif, PE, Illinois Tollway, Chris T. Keckeisen, Union Pacific Railroad, and Daniel Sabatka, PE, Canadian Pacific Railway

 

Compliance Canines: Remote Sensing and Cadaver Dog Cemetery Investigation for a CN Bridge Replacement
Kari J. Harris, CPESC, CN, Amber Robinson, PWS, ENV SP and Zachary Overfield, M.A., RPA, HDR

 

Kansas City's Levees Project: Building a Major Regional Public Works Project in the Heart of a National Rail Hub
Tom Poer, PE, PMP, ENV SP, F. SAME, HNTB Corporation and Scott Mensing, P.E., PMP, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers - Kansas City District

 

Combining Satellite, UAV, and Instrumented Hi-rail Truck Data to Map Temporal and Spatial Changes of Surface Water Near Railway Tracks
Alireza Roghani, National Research Council Canada

 

UP Englewood Yard: Transforming a Century-old Yard to a Premier Rail Car Processing Hub
Amanda Stahlnecker, PE, HDR and David J. Schuldt, PE, Union Pacific Railroad

Tuesday, August 30

Maintenance-of-Way Technical Session

Session Chair: Matthew R. Porto, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Amtrak 

Session sponsored by 
 

Using Test Measurements to Quantify the Economic Benefits of Shoulder Ballast Cleaning
Hamed F. Kashani and Franco Fanucci, PE, Loram Maintenance of Way, Steven Chrismer, PhD, PE, Amtrak (Retired)

 

Rail Ballast Monitoring System
John Wallace and Donald S. Herbert, Tensar, Hai Huang, PhD, PE, Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

 

How Intelligent Monitoring Solutions (IMS) Can Mitigate Slope Failure Risk on Rail Networks
Simon Brightwell, Senceive

 

Best Practice Processes for the Continuous Improvement of the Wheel Rail Interface as Shown Through Case Studies on Heavy Haul Railways
Peter S. Sroba, FIEAust CPEng., Sroba Rail Services Pty Ltd

 

Predicting Rail Transverse Profile Shape Using 2D ARIMA Modeling
Joseph W. Palese, PhD, MBA, PE, University of Delaware

 

Review of Experiments Conducted to Assist in Reducing Ground Penetrating Radar Post Processing and Interpretation Time for Assessing Track Substructure Conditions
Richard D. Begley, Marshall University

 

Investigating the Effect of Shoulder Cleaning through Both Laboratory Flume Test and Field Track Test
Yu Qian, University of South Carolina, Franco Fanucci, PE, Loram Maintenance of Way, and Stephen Wilk, PhD, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)

 

FRA Tools and Training for CWR Management
Radim Bruzek, ENSCO, Inc. and Robert Wilson, PhD, FRA Office of Research, Development and Technology

 

FTA’s Track Inspection and Track Asset Management Research and Demonstration
Jennifer Zahaczewski, ENSCO, Inc.

 

Evaluation of Wireless Remote Condition Monitoring of Track Geometry
Daniel Miller, Senceive

 

Smart Track Buckling: Monitoring Rail Strain Distribution using Fiber Optic Continuous Strain Sensing Technology
Faeze Ghofrani, PhD, Pennsylvania State University – Altoona

Tuesday, August 30

Passenger & Transit Technical Session

Session Chair: Francis J. Miller, III, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
AECOM

Session sponsored by 
 

Progressive Design-Build in the Railway Industry: Perspective from the Private Sector
Carlos Tarazaga, Aztec-Typsa

 

MBTA’s Framingham/Worcester Line Third Track Conceptual Design Study Leveraging Technology to Make Data-informed Operational Improvements
Joshua Bendyk, PE, VHB

 

Sound Transit East Link Light Rail Extension Tie-In: Systems Modifications Enabling Construction While Minimizing Passenger Disruption
Guilherme Pereira, Mott MacDonald, Marie Olson, Sound Transit and Jeremy Stutzman, ATSI

 

MDOT MTA Light Rail Interlockings: Advantages and Challenges of Single Tracking During Interlocking Renewals
Govind R. Sulibhavi, Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration and Rodney L. Miller, PE, Gannett Fleming, Inc.

 

A Design-Build Project in AC Electrification from a Wayside Engineering Perspective
Roger C. French, Modern Railway Systems

 

Effective Uses of LiDAR and Advanced Geospatial Surveying Technologies – A Case Study of Rail Infrastructure Projects
Francis J. Miller, III, PE, AECOM and Paul J. DiGiacobbe, PE, DBIA, Colliers Engineering & Design

 

Noise and Vibration Mitigation Strategies: American Railway Projects Experiences, Inferences and Recommendations
Andrew Utz, PE, Colleen Zwiebel, PE, and Manuel Ramos, PE, Arup

 

Improving Ride Quality Using Track Geometry Waveform Analysis
Steven M. Chrismer, PhD, PE, Amtrak (retired), James P. Hyslip, PhD, PE, HNTB Corporation

 

Accelerated Design and Construction in Core MBTA Downtown Transit Stations
Zachary Grant, PE, AECOM

 

Assessing Inductive Interference in Shared Corridors Through Simulation
Justin McKennon, Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc.

 

Safety Management in the Progressive Design-build Environment for Rail Transit
John Cockle, Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc.

 

The Clean Sheet Design Method: A Design Approach for Complex and Large-Scale Rail Projects
Marc Starmans, Arcadis NL, Sara Lynch, Arcadis US

Tuesday, August 30

Structures Technical Session

Session Chair: William S. Riehl, III, PE, F.SAME, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. 

Session sponsored by  

 

Construction of a 11,712-ft Long Prestressed Concrete Trestle over the Bonnet Carre Spillway
Sandro Scola, P.Eng., Canadian National Railway, Matthew Struemph, OCCI Inc.

 

Emergency Limited Access Micropile Support of Damaged Bridge Foundation and Encapsulation for Scour Protection
Kyle Guenther, MS, PE, GeoStabilization International and Ammar Shubair, PE, CSX Transportation

 

Advancements in Fatigue Evaluation and Design for Steel Railway Girder Bridges
Stephen M. Dick, PhD, SE, Purdue University

 

MBTA Gloucester Drawbridge - Construction Challenges Due to Changing Constraints
John Williams, PE, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates and Joe Knapp, PE, Genesis Structures

 

Adapting to Changing Market Conditions - Reevaluating Completely Replacing a Railroad Bridge
Ross M. White, PE, Stantec Consulting Services Inc.

 

Lateral Resistance of Timber Bridge Ties and Fasteners on Open Deck Steel Bridges
Christopher L. Johnson, PE and Duane Otter, PhD, PE, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), Matthew Hebdon, PhD, PE, The University of Texas at Austin

 

Toronto Transit Tunnels Rehabilitation
Farrokh Noori, P.Eng, PMP, Hatch Ltd.

 

Engineering and Construction Challenges for the Main Span Replacement of TRRA Merchants Bridge over Mississippi River, St. Louis, MO
Nick Staroski, PE, SE, TranSystems and Josh Crain, PE, SE, Genesis Structures

 

Effective Approaches for Sustainable Asset Management
Darin Charles Welch, HNTB Corporation and Anamaria Bonilla, PE, Metro-North Railroad

 

On Passive Protection Analysis of Subsea Immersed Tube Tunnel During Fire Event
Jean Habimana, Hatch

 

Application of Prestressed Precast Segmental Concrete Box-girder Construction in an Urban Railway Project
Keyan Yu, Systra IBT

 

Argentine Upstream Stoplog Structure: Building a Flood Control Structure Within BNSF’s Largest Classification Yard
Sean Cooney, PE, HNTB Corporation, Joshua Boeckmann, PE and Jared Mewmaw, PE, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Kansas City District

Tuesday, August 30

Track Technical Session

Session Chair: Kevin D. Hicks, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
TranSystems

Session Sponsored By  
 

A Non-Destructive, Reference-Free Procedure for RNT and Longitudinal Stress Measurements: Field Implementation and Validation
Dimitris C. Rizos, PhD, University of South Carolina

 

Evaluation of High Strength and Intermediate Strengths Rails Under Heavy Axle Loads
Ananyo Banerjee, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)

 

Joining Rail w/No Heat Affected Zone: No Soft Dips
Paul Cheng, FuseRing

 

Using Asphaltic Plug Joints to Prevent Grade Crossing Deterioration
Nathaniel Blake, TranSystems

 

Investigation into Longitudinal Track Resistance | A Critical Parameter for Track Loading and RNT Establishment
Marcus S. Dersch, PE, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Field Evaluation of Under Tie Pad Impact to Track Performance
Arthur de Oliveira Lima, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Erik K. Frohberg, BNSF Railway

 

Thermal Effect on Engineered Polymer Composite Ties
Yin Gao, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)

 

KCT Woodland Slope Stabilization Project: Use of a Flexible Stabilization System Between a School and 100 Trains/Day
James R. Hamm, PE and Paige Hardt, TranSystems

 

Pipe Roof Tunneling for Low-cover Under-crossing of Active UPRR Tracks
Todd Kilduff, Kilduff Underground Engineering

 

Use of Rail-Mounted Strain Gauges to Monitor Load Distribution under Train Traffic
Rakan Alturk, ENSCO, Inc. and Debakanta Mishra, PE, Oklahoma State University

 

Introduction of an Analytical Method to Estimate Dynamic Impact Forces Along Railway Transition Zones
Niyazi Özgür Bezgin, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

 

Machine Learning Based Broken Rail Prediction on Freight Railroads: Methodology and A Case Study in the United States
Xin Wang and Asim F. Zaman, Rutgers University

Wednesday, August 31

Passenger & Transit Technical Presentation: Metrolinx Ontario Line: Joint Corridor Construction, Gregory Placentine, P.Eng., HDR and Dwayne Geddes, Metrolinx

 

Maintenance-of-Way Technical Presentation: A Class I’s Lifecycle from Data Collection to Maintenance Execution, Ivan Aragona, ENSCO, Inc.

 

Engineering Services Technical Presentation: CSX-NCDOT Carolina Connector Intermodal Project - Partnering to Connect North Carolina to the Nation’s Supply Chain, Brandon Knapp, PE, CSX Transportation, and Jason T. Orthner, North Carolina Department of Transportation

 

Track Technical Presentation: Union Pacific Railroad: Moffat Tunnel Subdivision Slope Stabilization Challenges within the Gore Canyon, Grand County, Colorado, Timothy D. Jensen, PE, and Travis M. Schafer, Olsson, and Rachel Beck, Union Pacific Railroad

 

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Technical Presentation: Relative Risk Assessment of Cut Slopes Using Track Inspection Videos and Object Detection, Michael Palese, University of Delaware

 

Structures Technical Presentation: Narlon Bridge Replacement: Unique Collaborative Effort is Formula for Success, Nathan P. Dickerson, PE, HDR, Adam D. Studts, PE, Union Pacific Railroad, and Lynne D. Althouse, Althouse and Meade, Inc.

 

Wednesday Keynote Addresses & Panel Discussion - Emerging Technologies: Mike Swaney, Director, Advanced Energy Innovation, BNSF Railway & Nalin Jain, Group President, Digital Electronics Business, Wabtec