ZETA-TECH Associates, Inc. is a technical consulting company with strong expertise in the areas of wheel/rail interaction, analysis of wheel and rail profiles and standards, development of maintenance standards for wheel, rails, track and vehicle systems, and in derailment analysis. Its President, Dr. Allan M. Zarembski, is an internationally recognized authority in the area of rail, track, and vehicle system degradation, wheel/rail interaction, and component failure. He has authored over 60 technical papers and published over 100 articles dealing with these topics.
ZETA-TECH Associates has had active involvement in the development of maintenance standards and in the analysis of wheel/rail system behavior for numerous railroad and transit systems. Among its clients are BART, SEPTA, LACTC, PATCO, Maryland Mass Transit Administration, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Long Island Rail Road, New York City Transit Authority, Amtrak, US Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, State of NJ, Burlington Northern Railroad, Canadian National Railways, CSX Transportation, Southern Pacific Transportation Company, Union Pacific Railroad, Norfolk Southern Railroad, Conrail.
ZETA-TECH Associates has performed specific analyses in the area of wheel/rail dynamic interaction, including a recent derailment analyses at PATCO, Metro North, and PAT. In this project, ZETA-TECH developed revised rail standards to prevent wheel climb derailments. ZETA-TECH has worked with BART in a related derailment analysis which appeared to be a similar "wheel climb" type of derailment. ZETA-TECH Associates also completed a recent wheel/rail interaction study at SEPTA, with the object of reducing wheel/rail forces as well as wheel and rail wear. As part of that study, ZETA-TECH developed recommendations for revised wheel and rail maintenance standards. In other related studies, ZETA-TECH analyzed a wheel/rail interaction derailment on CSX, and developed recommendations for revised rail profiles (to be ground into rail). In a similar vein, ZETA-TECH addressed the issue of rail and/or wheel standards for CSX Transportation and for Baltimore MTA.
ZETA-TECH Associates, Inc. has an extensive array of computer systems and an extensive library of engineering and statistical analysis software. ZETA-TECH also maintains an extensive library of railroad technical literature at its Cherry Hill, NJ headquarters containing data and research studies in most areas of railroad operations. ZETA-TECH also has a regional office in the San Francisco area.
Analysis of Wheel Rail Projects
SEPTA (Philadelphia)
Analysis of wheel/rail interaction from the point of view of wear, dynamic interaction, and the development of wheel/rail defects (corrugations, etc.) Simulation modeling of wheel/rail interaction. Analysis of wheel/rail contact. Corrugation and rail surface defect control.
BART (San Francisco)
Analysis of dynamic wheel/rail interaction. Investigation of lateral and vertical wheel/rail forces, L/V ratios, derailment tendencies, etc.
PATCO
Analysis of dynamic wheel/rail interaction. Investigation of lateral and vertical wheel/rail forces, L/V ratios, derailment tendencies, etc.
Amtrak
Analysis of wheel climb derailment tendencies, investigation of lateral and vertical wheel/rail forces, L/V ratios, etc.
TTX Corp.
Analysis of dynamic wheel/rail interaction. Investigation of lateral and vertical wheel/rail forces, L/V ratios, derailment tendencies, etc.
Metro North
Analysis of dynamic wheel/rail interaction. Investigation of lateral and vertical wheel/rail forces, L/V ratios, derailment tendencies, etc.
PAT (Pittsburgh)
Analysis of dynamic wheel/rail interaction. Investigation of lateral and vertical wheel/rail forces, L/V ratios, derailment tendencies, etc.
TCRP (Transit Cooperative Research Program)
Investigation of Wheel/Rail Dynamic Derailment in Special Trackwork