Minimization of Weld Failures by Means of Gas and Shrinkage Porosity Reduction

Thermite weld improvement is important because it is a major concern for the North American railways and it is crucial to meet the network demands in terms of safety, reliability and ridership operations

The TRB IDEA (Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis) Program's Rail Safety IDEA Final Report 38: Minimization of Weld Failures by Means of Gas and Shrinkage Porosity Reduction seeks to identify new methods for rail life extension by improving the fatigue resistance of thermite welds.