2004 Specifications CSJ 0912-71-622

SPECIAL SPECIFICATION
4384
Field Welding of Rail

1. Description.
A. Summary. Field-weld rail as shown on the plans and as directed. Submit a plan that
maximizes the use of plant electric flash-but welds and reduces the need for field welds.
No field welds are allowed within 20 ft. of the edge of any grade crossing.
Work performed on the Port Terminal Railroad Association (PTRA) track must be
welded except for Frogs and Switch Points, where practical, and at the direction of the
Engineer. Perform field welding by an approved process using preformed, factory-
made molds. Arrange the alignment, support, and clamping of rails to produce welds
conforming to the specified tolerances.
B. Reference Standards. Any items not covered specifically in this specification are to be
in accordance with American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way
Association (AREMA) Standards and recommended practices subject to the approval of
the Railroad.
Perform construction in accordance with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and
PTRA Common Welding Standards and requirements.
C. Reporting. Prepare for the Engineers approval, a detailed procedure specification
covering the step-by-step procedures to be employed in making the field welds. Include
a complete description of each of the following items and any other essential
characteristics in the procedure specifications:

Manufacturer trade name for the welding process and the finished welds hardness.

Method used for cutting and cleaning the rail ends.

Minimum and maximum spacing between rail ends.

Method used for maintaining the rails in alignment during welding.

Method used for preheating including time and temperature.

Tapping procedure including the minimum time required to cool the weld under the
mold insulation.

Method used, including a description of special tools and equipment, for removing
the gates and risers and finishing the weld to the final contour.

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2. Materials.
A. Weld Kit. Use Railtech Boutet, Inc. and Orgo-Thermit, Inc. products or an approved
equal.
3. Construction.
A. Equipment. Submit an on-track equipment list to the Engineer for approval. Include
on this list the following: Make, Model, Year, and Primary Activity.
Equipment operators must be certified to operate on-track equipment in accordance
with FRA, PTRA, and Port of Houston Authority (PHA) requirements. Be prepared to
provide proof of certification if required by the Railroad.
B. Installation.
1. Qualifying Weld. Qualify the field welding process that is intended to be used in
track construction. Perform the step-by-step method of welding used for qualifying
in strict accordance with the welding procedure specifications.
Before beginning track welding, each crew of welders, including the welding
foreman or supervisor for that crew are to prepare and test a qualification weld.
Perform this welding in accordance with the approved procedure specification and
ensure it is witnessed by the Engineer. The qualification weld will be
ultrasonically inspected, and must meet the quality standards of the Engineer.
In the text record, include the names of the welders and welding foreman or
supervisor who made the test weld and briefly describe their specific duties. Also
show the results of the ultrasonic and hardness tests in the text record.
The Engineer reserves the right to require re-qualifications, at no expense to the
Department, of any crew of welders whose work fails to meet the specified
requirements.
2. Weld Method. Perform welding under the direct supervision of an experienced
welding foreman or supervisor. In addition, ensure that a manufacturers
representative, experienced in Boutet/Orgotherm type welding is present at the job
site and witnesses a sufficient number of welds to assure that, the proper procedure
is understood by the Contractors personnel.
Clean the ends of the rails to be welded to remove any grease, oil, dirt, loose scale,
and moisture. Extend the cleaned area at least 6 in. back from the rail ends and
include all of the rail surfaces. Arrange the faces of the rail ends at right angles by
cutting or grinding and further clean them to remove any scale and rust.
Properly gap the ends of the rails to be welded and align them to produce a weld
which will conform to the alignment tolerances of the AREMA Specifications.
No holes are allowed within 12 in. of the rail to be welded.

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 Pre-heat the rail ends before welding, to a sufficient temperature and for sufficient
time to ensure full fusion of the weld metal to the rail ends without cracking the rail
or weld.
Leave the molds in place after tapping for sufficient time to permit complete
solidification of the molten metal and the proper slow cooling to prevent cracking
and to provide a completed weld with the proper hardness and ductility.
Finish the completed weld by mechanically controlled grinding to conform to the
requirements of the Engineer.
Ensure each completed weld has full penetration and complete fusion and is
entirely free of cracks. The maximum total area of internal defects such as porosity
and slag inclusions is 0.060 sq. in. and the largest single porosity or slag defect
permitted is 1/8 in. in diameter.
Ensure the hardness of the weld measured on the head of the rail in the center of the
weld is equal to the Brinell hardness of the parent metal with a tolerance of plus or
minus 20 Brinell hardness number.
C. Field Welding Record. Provide a field welding record that is continuously maintained
to record the details of field welding as follows: Date and time, location by station
stating track and rail, Foreman, Engineers representative, Manufacturers
representative, and weather conditions at time of the weld, air and rail temperature,
weld trade name, track condition, and track anchorage. Also record the field welding
on the flange of the rail near the weld as follows: Date, air and rail temperature, and
welders name.
D. Weld Testing. Perform weld testing will be at no expense to the Department and
ensure it is witnessed by the Engineer. Remove any field or factory weld that is found
to be deficient, at no expense to the Department, and replace it according to the plans,
specifications, and standards. Weld testing is to be ultrasonically inspected as follows:

Ultrasonic inspection of the weld is to be performed using a pulse echo technique.

Inspection will be accomplished by the contact method using angle beams of 45 and
70 to locate any lack of bond, slag inclusion, voids, cracks, and gas pockets. The
search may be conducted from top surface of the entire rail. The scan is to be
conducted in both longitudinal directions of the rail to completely sweep the head,
web, and base area of the rail.

Transducers will have active element of at least 1/2 in. x 1/2 in. and no longer than
3/4 in. X 3/4 in. The test frequency will be 2.25 MHZ.

Test equipment will be calibrated to give a 10-dB above base line indication from a
1/8 in. flat bottom hole at 8-3/4 in. using a 450 transducer. The flat bottom hole is
to be perpendicular to the sound beam.

A defect reflection of 6-dB from the base area or lower half of web will be cause for
rejection. A 10-dB signal from the upper half of the web or the head web area is
will be cause for rejection.

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 The test equipment will be calibrated to give a 6 dB above-baseline indication from
a 1/8 in. flat-bottom hole, at 3 in. using the 7QO transducer. A defect reflection of
6 dB or greater will be cause for rejection. Light scattered porosity is acceptable.
Concentrations where four or more returns in one group or more than one group
occur in the same area is cause for rejection.
4. Measurement and Payment. The work performed, materials furnished, equipment, labor,
tools, and incidentals will not be measured or paid for directly, but are subsidiary to or are
included under payment in other pertinent items.

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