Technical Sessions

Monday, September 16

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Presentation: Active Land Slump PNW, Ross M. Sterling and Mike Wimsatt, BNSF Railway

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Engineering Services Presentation: Environmental Review at the Federal Railroad Administration, Amanda Ciampolillo, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Passenger & Transit Presentation: CTDOT CP243 Interlocking & Danbury Branch Dockyard, The WALK Bridge Program - Minimizing Disruptions to the New Haven Line During Major Construction, Jennifer E. C. Judge, PE and Alexander M. Atwater, PE, HNTB Corporation 

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Maintenance-of-Way Presentation: Electrification Upgrades in Active Rail ROWs, Joanna Pardini, Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems and Galen Mull, Amtrak

11:30 AM – Noon

Track Presentation: Building Culverts Through Embankments to Last, Shawn R. Coombs, PE, Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. 

Noon – 12:30 PM

Structures Presentation: Improved Rail Bridge Strike Detection and Characterization, Brett A. Story, Southern Methodist University

Tuesday, September 17

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Technical Session

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

Session sponsored by  

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Acoustic Bearing Detector Intelligent Alarm Settings
Fellipe Castro Barbosa Costa and Alexandre Lima de Carvalho, MRS Logistica SA

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Commuter Rail Seismic Interface (CRSI) Project
Dan R. Thompson, EIT, RailPros and Michael Bratcher, Railway Transportation Management Solutions

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Technology Solutions for Grade Crossing Safety Prioritization
Danielle Pena, PE, TE, RailPros and Ryan Gallaher, Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink)

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Railroad Resiliency Following an Operational Technology Cyber Attack
Todd Ellis, RCDD, PMP, Hatch

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Interconnected Grade Crossing Cutover Best Practices
Steven Phillips and Travis C. Bailey, Olsson

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Connected Waysides (Edge Processing)
Carlos Aguilera and Timothy Wehland, BNSF Railway

11:00 – 11:30 AM 

802.16t General Purpose Networks for the Rail Industry
Kevin C. Nichter, Ondas Networks

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM 

CS&IT Committee Open Forum Discussion
Moderator: Jerry W. Specht, EIT, CPKC 
Panelists: Shawn Hall & Mitchell Beard, BNSF Railway and John Danyluk, Meteorcomm

Tuesday, September 17

Engineering Services Technical Session

Session Chair: Cassandra M. Gouger, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Union Pacific

Session sponsored by  

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Implementing Rail Operations Simulation Model to Evaluate Reserve Capacity and Plan Infrastructure Upgrades at the Port of Stockton
Arkaprabha Ghosh and Jon Marshall, PE, JMA Civil

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Navigating Public Funding at the Gettysburg Battlefield – A History Lesson in Assuming a CRISI Grant Award for a Modern Rail Project
Rachael Gray Crandley, HDR

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Sustainability and the Road to Carbon Neutrality with Low-Density Cellular Concrete (LDCC)
Ing. Milton Gomez, MSci., Aerix Industries

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Emporia Subdivision CM/GC Project – BNSF Railway Company | Emporia to Mulvane, KS
Michael Holesapple, PE, Wilson & Company, Inc., Kristopher Swanson, BNSF Railway and Tony Swedin, SEMA Construction, Inc.

9:30 – 10:00 AM

The Women Who Love Trains
Moderator: Alanna Strohecker, PE, AECOM; Panelists: Jaclyn Whelan, PE, Conrail, Amanda DeCesare, CSX Transportation and Carol Boehm, AECOM

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway Reconstruction
Jared E. Talbot and Brian Nelson, Stacy Witbeck

11:00 –11:30 AM

Innovative Structural Utility Protection Utilizing Micropile Design
Steven Bates, David Evans and Associates, Inc. and Craig Whiteley, Union Pacific Railroad 

11:30 AM – Noon

Water Hazard Monitoring Using Remote Sensing and Advanced Data Analytics for Railway Resilience Forecasting and Near Real-time Alerting
Ryan Kozun, P.Eng., CPKC and Shawn Bernard, PMP, Tetra Tech TAS Inc.

Noon – 12:30 PM

Sustainable Strategies: CSX Transportation’s Adaptive Facility Management Amid Growth and Decline
Lance E. Rasnake, PE, Clinchfield Consulting Group and Jacob Metcalf & Rebecca Hensley, CSX Transportation, Inc.

Tuesday, September 17

Maintenance-of-Way Technical Session

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

Session sponsored by 
7:30 – 8:00 AM

When “Smart-Tamper” Meets “Smart-Rock”
Hai Huang, PhD, PE, Penn State University Altoona and Fabian Hansmann, Plasser & Theurer

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Protran Technology Sentinel Collision Avoidance System
Jaime Maguire, Harsco Rail

8:30 – 9:00 AM

A Comparative Study of New Ballast and Recycled Ballast Generated from Various Maintenance Activities
Erol Tutumluer, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Digital Imaging for Track Vertical Deflection and Inspection
Jeremiah Dzeble and Piero Caputo, University of Delaware

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Estimation of Wheel-Rail Contact Patch Geometry Under Curving Conditions
Nikhil Kumar, Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety 

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Smart Tamping Machines and the Rise of Automation
Fabian Hansmann, PhD, Plasser & Theurer and Hakan Uzuner, Plasser American

11:00 –11:30 AM

Dynamic Portable Static/Dynamic Derailment Mitigation and Heat Watch Device
Peter M. Bartek, FTS Tools, LLC

11:30 AM – Noon

Implementing Risk-based Scheduling of Ultrasonic Rail Flaw Detection Inspections on CSX: A Success Story
Christopher M. Hartsough, Harsco Rail/Protran Technology

Noon – 12:30 PM

Implementation of Design Tamping on a High-Speed Railroad
Amanda Kessler, PE, Daniel Olausen and Brian Bonar, Amtrak

Tuesday, September 17

Passenger & Transit Technical Session

Session Chair: Lucas A. Bathurst, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
HDR

Session sponsored by 
7:30 – 8:00 AM

Cohabitation of Heavy-rail and LRT Trains: A Successful Safety Story in Montreal (Canada) 
Matthew Totarella, Hatch and Guillaume Segrettin, Setec

8:00 – 8:30 AM

The Challenges, the Strategy, and the Changes...How to Handle Adding a Light Rail Metro to an Existing Heavy Rail Corridor 
Corey J. Johnston, P.Eng, Rishi Lukka, P. Eng and Rachel Jorritsma, HDR Corporation

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Passenger Rail Resiliency: Developing an Analytical Natural Hazard Risk Assessment for the Northeast Corridor 
Kara Oldhouser, Amtrak and Thomas Wagner, PE & Adam Brooks, Arup

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Brightline Florida Project: Design and Construction of Higher-Speed Rail Infrastructure for a Shared Corridor 
Tom Roadcap, PE, Brightline and Joshua Bair, PE, HNTB

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Portland Union Station Revitalization: The Legacy and Future of an Iconic Passenger Terminal 
Randy Knapick, ARCADIS

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

A Case Study of Three-Dimensional Modeling and Use of Drone Data for Construction 
Jacqueline L. Patterson, PE and Marc Canas, Zephyr Rail

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Hurontario LRT: A Case Study of Reducing Operational Impact Using Innovative Construction Methodology in an Active Rail Corridor 
Sonia Rahman & Stefan Linder, Stantec Consulting Ltd. and Gaith Sabouni, Metrolinx

11:30 AM – Noon

The Return of Passenger Service to North Ontario: A Strategic and Data Driven Framework for Accelerating Passenger Speeds in Mixed-use Corridors 
Shane Arnold, M.Eng., P. Eng. and Onella Narangoda, E.I.T., Gannett Fleming

Noon – 12:30 PM

Passenger Railway Operation in Extreme Canadian Climate 
Kevin Mackie, M.Eng, National Research Council Canada 

Tuesday, September 17

Structures Technical Session

Session Chair: Walter F. Bleser, II, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
ARE Corporation 

Session sponsored by  

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Solutions During the Challenging Reconstruction of BNSF Br. 0047-53.5 
Temple Overman, PE, HNTB Corporation, Luke Sykora, PE, Advanced American Construction and Mike Herzog, PE, BNSF Railway

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Updates to Ground Motions and Seismic Design Methodology for Railway Structures
Matt Bowers, PE, SC Solutions, Inc. and Sanaz Rezaeian, PhD, US Geological Survey

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Complex Geometry and Reuse of Existing Structure to Replace Bridge N-680.20 
Lisa Hoekenga, PE, SE & Edward Baznik, PE, Michael Baker International and Nick Bayer, PE, Norfolk Southern Railway

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Automated Bridge Inspection and Load Rating Using Low-Cost Sensor Networks 
Hai Huang, PhD, PE, Penn State University Altoona

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Brightline/Florida East Coast RR Loxahatchee River Bridge Reconstruction 
Scott Gammon, PE, Brightline Trains Florida LLC and Charles S. Davis, PE, Scott Bridge Company

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Union Pacific Railroad Elkhorn River Bridge Replacement 
Adam Studts, PE, Union Pacific Railroad and Kyle Kauzlarich, SE, PE & Ben Dey, PE, HDR

11:00 – 11:30 AM

RJ Corman Railroad Cumberland River Bridge Rehabilitation and Automation Project 
David Pegram, Mott MacDonald, Edward Quillian, RJ Corman Railroad Company and Mike Tweet, Koppers Inc

11:30 AM – Noon

Davenport Diamond Rail Grade Separation Project in the City of Toronto 
Saman Rastgoo, Ph.D., P.Eng. & Shreedhar Thotapally, M.Eng., P.Eng., Metrolinx and Francesco Addario, M.Eng., P.Eng., Hatch Ltd.

Noon – 12:30 PM

Staged Replacement and Vertical Clearance Improvement of NS Bridge PC-1.20 
Solomon Brown, PE, SE, Michael Baker International, Chris Cawley, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Nic Manuppelli, Trumbull Corporation

Tuesday, September 17

Track Technical Session

Session Chair: David C. Clark, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
CSX Transportation

Session Sponsored by   
7:30 – 8:00 AM

Climate Adaptive Slope Stabilization Using Vetiver Grass 
Sadik Khan, Md. Fahimuzzaman Khan and A Q M Zohuruzzaman, Jackson State University

8:00 – 8:30 AM 

Railway Tie Management in Ontario: Options and Considerations for Waste Wooden Railway Tie Disposal and Management Techniques 
Matthew Ian A. Schroeder, B.A.Sc., Hatch Ltd.

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Ballast Reuse and Recycling in Ontario; Options and Considerations for a Sustainable Approach to Management of Ballast Waste 
Keith Lesarge, M.Sc., P. Geo. QPESA, WSP Canada Inc.

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Use of 3D Laser Scanning and Artificial Intelligence for the Automated Inspection of Special Trackwork
Richard Fox-Ivey, Pavemetrics Systems Inc.

9:30 – 10:00 AM

AREMA Manual, Chapter 1, Part 5 Utilities Re-Write
Rick A. Friesen, Union Pacific, David Howell, Midwest Mole and Jeff Jones, PE, Burns & McDonnell 

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Identification of RCF through Computer Vision 
Alexandre Lima de Carvalho, MRS Logistica SA

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Track Stiffness in a New Perspective: the Unrevealed Possibilities of Rail Fastening Systems 
Amy De Man, PhD, edilon)(sedra North America Inc.

11:30 AM – Noon

When Data Meets Doing 
Adam Bankston and Logan Serra, BNSF Railway

Noon – 12:30 PM

Electromagnetic Energy Harvester Tie: Design, Implementation, and Field Testing 
Dr. Mehdi Ahmadian, Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety at Virginia Tech

Wednesday, September 18

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Maintenance-of-Way Presentation: Benefits and Challenges of Autonomous Track Inspection Technologies for a Higher-Speed Railroad Network, Nao Nishio & Charley Kegley, Brightline and Bernhard K. Metzger, ENSCO Rail, Inc. 

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Passenger & Transit Presentation: Utilization of Computer Vision for Pedestrian Data Collection at Grand Central Terminal: A Case Study in Improving Pedestrian Simulations and Planning at Rail Stations, James Rimington and Thomas John Wagner, PE, Arup

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Structures Presentation: Rapid Railroad Bridge Emergency Replacement with Filler Beams on NJ TRANSIT’s North Jersey Coast Line, Patrick D'Ambrosio, PE, HNTB Corporation and George Nickels, PE, NJ Transit 

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Engineering Services Presentation: Music City Miracle: A CSXT Public Project Success Story, James A. Schonk, PE, STV, Jay Lanius, PE, TDOT and Joshua Hicks, CSXT 

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Track Presentation: A New 23-Mile Rail Alignment within a Greenfield in the Low Country of SC, David Ashworth, PE & Joe Olson, STV Incorporated and Patrick McCrory, Palmetto Railways

11:30 AM – Noon

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Presentation: Operational Technology (OT) Security to Protect BNSF Movable Bridges from Cyber Exploitation, James B. Seals, PE, PMP & Jonathan A. Kohler, PE, HDR and Nicholas Novay, BNSF Railway