Aluminum Thermite Welding

Technique

INTRODUCTION

By : R.K. Kathal
Associate Professor Track 2
IRICEN , Pune
CODES & MANUALS
 MANUAL FOR FUSION WELDING OF
RAILS BY ALUMINO THERMIC PROCESS
Revised (2022)
 INDIAN RAILWAY STANDARD
SPECIFICATION FOR FUSION WELDING
OF RAILS BY ALUMINO THERMIC
PROCESS (IRS-T-19-2021)
MANUAL FOR FUSION WELDING OF RAILS
BY ALUMINO THERMIC PROCESS (2022)
 SCOPE –
 Method of welding- covers only SKV AT welding technique
with short pre-heating process.
 Precautions & steps to be taken before, during & after
welding by short pre-heating process for achieving
satisfactory weld.
 Tolerances of finished weld & acceptance tests.
 List of equipments
 Record maintenance of A.T. welding
 Training & certification of welders
 INDIAN RAILWAY STANDARD SPECIFICATION
FOR FUSION WELDING OF RAILS BY ALUMINO
THERMIC PROCESS (IRS-T-19-2021)
 SCOPE –
 Technical requirements for thermit portions and welded
joints including various acceptance tests.
 Procedure for approval of Alumino-Thermic “portion
manufacturers”
 Procedure for approval of A.T. welding Supervisors,
welders & contracting firms.
 Acceptance tests for in-situ & cess A.T. joints.
 Procedure for approval of alumino thermic portion
manufacturers with upgraded alumino thermic welding
technology.
INTRODUCTION
 THE SOUNDNESS OF THE WELDS
PRODUCED BY ALUMINO THERMIC
PROCESS DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF
(A) ALUMINO THERMIC MIXTURE
HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE
MIXTURE AND THE TECHNICAL CONTROL
EXERCISED DURING THE PREPARATION
FOR AND THE EXECUTION OF THE
WELDING BY THIS PROCESS
INTRODUCTION
 THE QUANTITY OF THE MIXTURE
REQUIRED FOR WELDING ONE RAIL
JOINT SHALL BE CALLED A PORTION
 PORTION MANUFACTURED BY

AGENCIES APPROVED BY RDSO AND

ACCEPTED BY NOMINATED
INSPECTING AUTHOURITY SHALL
ONLY BE USED.
INTRODUCTION
 EXCEPT FOR WELDS EXECUTED FOR
LABORATORY EVALUATION AND ACCEPTANCE
TEST, WHICH ARE DONE BY RDSO, ALL OTHER
WELDS SHALL BE EXECUTED UNDER THE
SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL POSSESSING
VALID COMPETENCY CERTIFICATE FROM
THERMIT PORTION PLANT, NORTHERN
RAILWAY, CHARBAGH, LUCKNOW OR THERMIT
WELDING CENTRE (TWC), SOUTH-CENTRAL
RAILWAY, VIJAYAWADA.
INTRODUCTION

 NO CHANGES IN WELD DESIGN, RANGE OF

WELD METAL CHEMISTRY, ITS ACCEPTANCE
TESTS AND THE METHODS OF WELDING
SHALL BE MADE WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF
THE APPROVING AUTHORITY. APPROVING
AUTHORITY SHALL MEAN DIRECTOR
GENERAL, RESEARCH, DESIGN & STANDARDS
ORGANIZATION (MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS),
MANAK NAGAR, LUCKNOW 226011 OR HIS
REPRESENTATIVE
SCOPE
 Technical requirements for thermit portions and
welded joints including variousAcceptance tests.
 Procedure for approval of Alumino-THERMIC
PORTION MANUFACTURERS
 Procedure for approval of A.T. Welding
Supervisors, Welders and contracting firms.
Acceptance tests for in-situ and cess Alumino
Thermic joints
 Procedure for approval of alumino thermic
portion manufacturers with upgraded alumino
thermic welding technology.
NOMINAL GAPS AND ITS
TOLERANCE
Supply of portion
 THE MANUFACTURERS SHALL HAVE ISO
9001:2015 CERTIFICATIONS. A BATCH
MAY CONSIST OF 600 PORTIONS OR
PART THEREOF MANUFACTURED ON
THE SAME DAY FROM SIMILARLY
REATED RAW MATERIALS AND
ROCESSING AND MIXING OF ALL
INGREDIENTS BEING DONE OMPLETELY
UNDER AUTOMATION BY ADEQUATE
AND SEPARATE FEEDER CHANNELS.
SUPPLY OF PORTION
Batch numbering shall be given year-
wise in eight-digit code, whose first
two digits will indicate the year of
manufacture, next two digits will
indicate the month of manufacture
and the balance 4 digits, the serial
number of the batch. The batch
number at the beginning of each year
shall, therefore, commence from 0001.
 Every portion shall be packed in a moisture
proof bag of polyethylene to is:9738,rade
HMHDPE of 150-micron thickness which
should be sealed so as to make it airtight.
The polyethylene bag should then be
packed in a heavy duty bag made of new
cloth to IS:187 or any other superior
packaging pproved by RDSO..
PARTICULARS FOR PORTION
 Following particulars shall be indicated on two
similar labels One placed inside the
Polyethylene bag containing the portion and
the other out side with the seal on the bag
Batch No. Portion No.Date of manufacture
 The section of rail to be welded The grade
of rail to be welded Welding technique
 Automatic Tapping/ Manual Tapping Insignia
of the firm Any other informationtside with
the seal on the bag
COLOURS AS PER RAIL GRADE
COLOURS AS PER RAILS GRADE
 R260 WITH 90 UTS –ORANGE
 R260 WITH 1175 HT – PINK
 1175 HT WITH 90 UTS –BROWN
Reference Documents
 IS:2 Rules for rounding off numerical
values
 IS:187 Cotton long cloth
 IS:9738 Polyethylene bags for general
purposes
 IS:2500 (Pt. I) Sampling inspection
tables: Part I inspection by attributes and
by count of defects.
 IS:1500 Method for Brinell hardness test
for metallic materials.
 Alumino thermic process

 Alumino thermic process is based on the chemical

reaction of iron oxide and aluminium.

 Reaction is ‘exothermic’ i.e. heat is generated.

 Due to generation of very high heat energy, iron in

molten state is available.

 On Indian Railways Alumino thermic welding with short

pre-heating process called SKV welding is used for
welding of rails of different chemistry and sections.
 CHEMICAL REACTION

 Different thermit welding processes may use any

combination of iron oxide & aluminum in different
proportions to achieve the objective of correct resultant
temperature of molten metal of required quantity.

 3Fe3O4+8Al = 4Al2O3+9Fe (3088OC, 719Kcal)

 3FeO+2Al = Al2O3+3Fe (2500OC, 187Kcal)

 Fe2O3+2Al = Al2O3+2Fe (2960OC, 181Kcal)

 Advantages of SKV welding

 It is possible to do it at site under field constraints with

reasonable quality.

 It is used to weld flash butt panels of 3 rail/ 10 rail/ 20 rail

panels into long panels.

 Most suitable for taking up repair work of fractures and

isolated welding.

 No pressure application is required and needs normal

surface preparation compared to other types of weldings.
 Principles of Thermit Welding and
Thermic reaction:

 Alumino thermic process is based on chemical reaction of

iron oxide with aluminium. The reaction is ‘exothermic’ and
is associated with ‘heat’ generation.

 After exothermic reaction lasting for few seconds,

approximately equal volumes of molten steel and liquid
Al203 are separated at a temperature of about 24000C.

 Al203 (slag), being lighter, floats on top of the molten metal.

 Principles of Thermit Welding and its
Formula Thermic reaction:

 Ferro-manganese is added to the mixture together with

pieces of mild steel to control exothermic reaction to
match wear resistance of thermit steel to that of the
various grades of rail steel to be welded.

Fe203 + 2Al = Al203 + 2Fe (25000C, 43.2 K Joules)

 MATERIAL : WELDING PORTION

Only RDSO certified/passed portions should be used for

welding.
 Hygroscopic in nature
 Double packing, polyethen & cloth bag
 Bag should not be damaged or torn,
 Portion should not be moist/damp,
 Drying not permitted, proper storage
Should be stored in water tight stores kept 0.3m away from
wall and 0.5m above Ground to avoid ingress of moisture.
 WELDING PORTION

 ‘Acceptance slip’ inside bag by RDSO & RDSO seal on top,

 The ‘portion’ used for welding shall conform to the
technical requirements as mentioned in IRS : T-19-2021.
 Supply only from RDSO approved firms
 It should be ensured that the portion to be used must
match the rail section, grade of rail and the welding
technique.
 The portion should be poured into the crucible through
fingers with a spraying action and striking the crucible wall
so that the bottom plugging remains undisturbed
 WELDING PORTION

 Portion should not be mixed with any foreign material or

any amount of additional portion.

 The crucible cap should then be placed in position and an

igniter (sparkler) hooked on to the crucible cap ready for
use.

 Particulars of portion contained in the acceptance slip such

as Batch No., Portion No., Date of Manufacture, etc. should
be recorded in a register kept for this purpose.
 WELDING PORTION
 Different main ingredients used in manufacture of AT
portion are

o Mill scales
o Aluminum
o Ferro-manganese
o Steel chips
o Silicon carbide
o Ferro vanadium
o Flour spar

The proportion and quantity of the same depends upon

the type of rail section and type of welding and is the
trade secrete of the manufacturing company.
 WELDING PORTION
shelf life

 Shelf life ?

 There is no specific shelf life for portions. It depends on

the quality of packing and storage conditions.

 If packing is intact and there is no entry of moisture, the

portion can be used even after a long time.
 WELDING PORTION
shelf life

 However, following procedure may be adopted for permitting

use of portions beyond two years after the date of
manufacturing :

 (a) One random sample per batch of 600 or part there-of may be drawn
from the portions available in stores.

 (b) The sample shall be tested for reaction test. If the reaction is normal,
the batch represented by the sample can be used without further tests.

 (c) In case the reaction is found to be quiet or boiling, a test joint should
be made from one more sample selected from the batch.
 WELDING PORTION

 Following tests should be conducted on the test joints.

(i) Weld Metal Chemistry Test
(ii) Load deflection test

 These tests should be conducted at Zonal CMT’s

organization and/or the Flash Butt Welding Plant. If the
values obtained in above tests are within the specified
values as given in para 4.1 and 4.2.3.1 of IRS:T-19-2020,
the batch represented by the sample can be used otherwise
batch should be rejected.
 WELDING PORTION CONTD..

 (d) The rejected portions are to be disposed-off by igniting

five portions at a time in pit away from the store.

 In India, though many labor contracting firms are

approved by RDSO for executing AT welding with portion
and technique developed by Thermite Portion Plant(TPP),
N. Railway, Lucknow.
 MATERIAL : Prefabricated mould & mould shoe

 Only prefabricated 3 piece moulds supplied by the RDSO

approved portion manufacturer shall be used for welding.

 Moulds are made by mixing high silica sand to IS: 1987

with sodium silicate to the required consistency, followed
by passage of carbon dioxide gas.

 These prefabricated moulds shall have adequate

permeability for escape of mould gases and adequate
reinforcement to avoid mould crushing during
transportation and welding.
 Prefabricated mould & mould shoe

 Moulds shall be handled with due care to avoid any

breakage.

 Should be intact, dry & of correct size

 Pouring channels & riser holes should be cleared of any

obstruction or fins.

 Mould shoe fixed with mould should be of correct size &

free from geometric distortions

 The shelf life of mould is 12 months period.

 RAIL END PREPARATION

 The ends should be cropped to eliminate fish bolt holes.

 If fish bolt holes are not present, the ends should preferably
be cropped for a minimum of distance 150mm.

 Bent/hogged/battered rail ends to be cut away

 Cut should be vertical and square

 Rails should be cut using sawing/ abrasive rail cutter only.

 Selection of Rail to be welded:

 For both new as well as second hand rails, before

welding, it should be ensured that the end bends of
the rails are within +0.5 mm, -0 mm in vertical and +
0.5 mm in lateral direction, when checked with one
metre straight edge as shown in next slide.
Tolerances at Rail End before welding
 Selection of Rail to be welded:

 Further, fish bolt holes must be eliminated as far as

possible before welding of rails to make the weld
amenable for USFD testing for lack of fusion, in case
of welding of new rails as well as repair/maintenance
welding.
 Second Hand Rails
 Obsolete rail sections and rails older than 50 years shall
not, normally, be welded. Specific approval of the Railway
Board may, however, be obtained in special cases.

 The Chief Track Engineer shall satisfy himself that second

hand rails have a substantial rail life to make it a safe and
economical proposal.

 Rails shall be free from corrosion or excessive wear. The

height of rail and width of rail head shall not be less than
the values as indicated in Table in next slide.
Tolerance for Second Rail
 Second Hand Rails(Cont..)
 Rails shall be tested before welding, with ultrasonic
flaw detector apart from visual inspection, so that
rails having cracks and internal flaws are excluded
from welding. In order to achieve satisfactory
running on welded rail panels, rails with excessive
scabbing, wheel burns, corrugations and wear of rail
seats shall not be used for welding. The rail flange
bottom shall be visually inspected to ensure freedom
from defects like dent, notch, corrosion, etc.
Second Hand Rails(Cont..)
 Even where cracks/flaws have not been detected
during visual/USFD examination before welding, the
ends of second hand rails should be suitably cropped
so as to eliminate fish bolt holes.

 The rail ends shall be cut by sawing or using abrasive

disc cuter and not by flame cutting.

 Second hand rails shall be match-marked before

releasing from track to enable matching of the rail
ends at the time of welding. Kinks, if any, in the rails
shall be removed before welding.
 Second Hand Rails(Cont..)
 The rolling marks on the web of rails shall be
checked before welding to ensure that generally rails
of different qualities are not welded together.
However, in unavoidable circumstances, where rails
of Grade 710 (72 UTS) rail chemistry and that of
Grade 880 (90 UTS) chemistry are to be welded, the
portion of Grade 880 (90 UTS) chemistry shall be
utilised for welding.
 Second Hand Rails(Cont..)
 While using second hand rail panels for secondary
renewal, released from LWR/CWR sections, the ends
should be cropped to eliminate fish bolt holes. If rail
ends do not have bolt holes, the ends may be
cropped to a distance of minimum 150 mm for A.T.
welds and 85 mm for flash butt welds from the
center of welded joint to eliminate heat affected zone
of welds. End cropping may be suitably increased so
as to ensure that rail ends are within the tolerances
as specified.
 Second Hand Rails(Cont..)
 In case of repair of fractured rail/defective weld with
wide gap (75mm gap) weld, the rail shall be cut from
center of rail fracture/defective weld 37-38mm each
side for making suitable gap of 75mm, provided bolt
holes do not fall within 40mm from cut faces.
CUTTING OF RAILS

For perfect vertical cut abrasive rail cutter should be used for rail.
Abrasive cutting blade
 Dia of blade – 400+5 mm
 -3
 Thickness of blade -4+.25 mm
 -.25 mm
 Bore – 22.23 mm
 Size -400*4*22.23 mm
 PREPARATORY WORK

 50 mm to be cleaned with wire-brush, kerosene / petrol

 In case of in-situ welding the rail fastenings for at least five

sleepers on either side of the proposed weld shall be
loosened.

 The sleepers adjacent to the joint to be welded shall be

shifted to obtain a clear working space of 250 mm on either
side to accommodate the moulds, clamps, preheating
equipment, etc.
 PREPARATORY WORK

 The rails shall then be properly aligned, both

horizontally and vertically

 When the welding work is carried out on cess, full rail

length shall be leveled by supporting on at least ten
wooden blocks on either side. The rails shall be
properly aligned in horizontal and vertical direction
and held in position.
ALIGNMENT OF RAILS
 Lateral Alignment

 The two rail ends, after alignment shall be within

+0.5 mm when checked with a 1.0 m straight edge
at rail ends.

 Any difference in the widths of rail heads shall always

be fully kept on the non-gauge side, correctly
aligning the rail ends on the gauge face.
Lateral Alignment
Vertical Alignment
 The joint shall be kept higher by 3 to 4 mm for 72
UTS rails and 2 to 2.4 mm for higher UTS rails when
measured at the end of 1.0m straight edge (as a
compensation against sagging caused by differential
shrinkage on cooling).

 This shall be achieved by wedges applied on the rail

supporting blocks on both sides of the joint.
Vertical Alignment
 Gap between Rail Ends
 The two rail ends to be welded shall be held in
position with a uniform vertical gap of 25mm+/-
1mm for normal welding and a wide gap of
50±1/75±1 mm for repairing fractured/defective
welds.

 The uniformity and verticality of the gap shall be

measured by a gauge prior to welding.

 The gap is measured at four corners of rail section.

 Gap between Rail Ends

 In LWR/CWR territory, hydraulic / mechanical rail

tensor of suitable and approved design should be
used for maintaining correct rail gap during
welding.

 Gap between rail ends may be rechecked after

completion of alignment.
 Gap between Rail Ends
 Datum marks shall be made on foot of both rails as
well as on joint sleepers in order to observe any
longitudinal movement of rails.

 If excessive longitudinal movement occurs during

pre-heating and produces a welding gap outside the
prescribed limits, the welding of joint shall be
temporarily abandoned and joint allowed to cool.
 FIXING OF MOULD
 Only prefabricated moulds supplied by the portion
manufacturer shall be used for welding.

 These are to be made by mixing high silica sand to IS:1987

with sodium silicate to the required consistency, followed by
passage of carbon dioxide gas.

 The prefabricated moulds shall have adequate permeability

for escape of mould gases and adequate reinforcement to
avoid mould crushing during transportation and welding.
 FIXING OF MOULD
 Three piece moulds supplied by A.T. portion manufacturer
shall conform to ‘Specification of 3 piece Pre-fabricated
mould manufactured by A.T. portion manufacturers for use
during A.T. welding rails’ given at Annexure -3 of IRS: T-19-
2012.”

 Before mounting on the rail ends to be welded, each pair of

moulds shall be examined for defects, dampness, cracks,
blocked vents, etc. and defective moulds discarded.

 The prefabricated moulds shall be handled with care as they

are fragile and liable to breakage.
 FIXING OF MOULD
 To be fixed centrally w.r.t. gap
 After fixing, mould jacket / shoe to be tightened.

 Gap between mould and rail to be well packed with

luting sand

 To protect the rail table from metal splashes during

reaction, the adjacent rail surface on either side of
the moulds shall be covered with metal cover or
smeared with luting sand up to 15cm on either side
of the moulds.
 FIXING OF MOULD
 The mould jackets/shoes holding the pre-fabricated
mould in a snug fit condition, after fixing, shall be
tightened by the application of adequate pressure.

 For three piece moulds, care should taken to ensure

proper fixing of bottom plate to avoid formation of fin at
the edges of bottom flanges of weld.
PLACING THE MOULD
 Luting

 It is the process of sealing the gaps of moulds. The

material used is called luting sand.

 After fixing of the mould shoes, luting of the

junction of the mould should be done, starting from
the underside of the rail foot and continuing on
both sides towards the head of the rail.

 Luting sand with minimum moisture content (6%)

supplied for this purpose only should be used.
 Luting

 To avoid any sand particle dropping into the mould,

a luting cover may be placed over mould aperture.

 Improper luting may result in leakage of weld

metal. It may lead to formation of a ‘fin’ at the
underside of flange which may lead to development
of half moon crack under repetitive loading and may
cause failure of the weld.
 Per weld consumption of luting sand is 3.5 to 4.0 kg
LUTING OF MOULDS
 Pre-heating

 Pre-heating is done to remove moisture from

surface of rails using torches.
 The rail ends shall be uniformly pre-heated
throughout the rail section with specially designed
air petrol/ compressed air petrol/oxygen-LPG
burner.
 The burner shall be properly adjusted during
preheating to ensure that the head, web and foot
of both the rail ends are heated uniformly to the
desired rail temperature.
 Pre-heating

 The pre-heating shall be done from the top of the

mould box for stipulated period for welding
technique adopted, so as to achieve a temperature
of around 650 to850 degree centigrade .
 Higher temperature will cause metallurgical
transformation and therefore should be avoided.
 Presently, in Indian Railways compressed air petrol
mixture and Oxy-LPG are being used.
 Pre-heating

 The pre-heating torches should not be bent or

damaged or their holes blocked.
 Positioning of the pre-heating torch in the mould
box must be carefully adjusted because it affects
the quality of pre-heating.
 Recommended pressure should be ensured while
pre-heating
 Pre-heating

 For A.T. welding with compressed Air-petrol pre-

heating technique, the Air pressure, during operation
of the preheating equipment, should be in the range
of 0.2 to 0.3 Kg/cm2 .

 In case of pre-heating by Oxy-LPG process, pressure

for oxygen and LPG cylinders shall be adjusted in the
range of 7.0-8.0 kg/cm2 and 2.0-2.5 kg/cm2
respectively
 Pre-heating

 Proper pre-heating of the rail ends consists

of fulfilling three requirements namely:

 Pre-heating equipment
 Pre-heating pressure
 Minimum pre-heating time
 Pre-heating

 Special emphasis shall be given to the tank pressure,

efficiency of burner and flame condition for achieving
required rail temperature within the stipulated time.

 From time to time or in case of any doubt with a view to

maintain proper quality control, temperature measuring
devices like optical pyrometer, contact type pyrometer or
temperature indicating crayons may be used for measuring
rail end temperature just after completion of preheating i.e.
after removal of burner
 Pre-heating

Minimum pre-heating time

Compressed Air-petrol – 4.0 to 4.5 min

Oxy-LPG Preheating process – 2.0 to 2.5 min

Control over heating time: By stop watch or by

temperature measuring devices like optical pyrometer,
contact type pyrometer or temperature indicating crayons
may be used for measuring rail end temperature.
PREHEATING OF RAILS
 WELDING PROCESS

 Only single shot crucible should be used for the welding.

 The ‘portion’, for the required technique, shall be thoroughly

hand mixed and poured into the crucible striking the
crucible wall so that the bottom plugging remains
undisturbed.

 The portion shall be coned to the centre of the crucible and

a sparkler be placed at the top.
 WELDING PROCESS
 After pre-heating the rail joint, the sparkler shall be
ignited and inserted in the portion at the centre top
to start the reaction.

 The reaction shall not be vigorous or boiling. By the

time the reaction is complete, the burner shall be
removed quickly.

 Only automatic tapping system should be adopted.

 Pouring of molten metal after reaction, these aspects

are taken care of automatically.
 WELDING PROCESS
 Care shall be taken to ensure that the crucible does not
move from its position during tapping.

 After pouring, molten metal shall be allowed to cool and

solidify with mould intact for stipulated time (mould waiting
time) depending upon the rail section and ambient
temperature.

 In case of alloy steel rails, full rail section up to 300 mm on

either side of the joint shall be heated by using burner
during this period.
 WELDING PROCESS
 The mould shoes shall be removed just prior to completion
of mould waiting time.

 The mould waiting time is generally five to seven minutes

for 25 mm gap joints and 12 minutes for 75 mm gap joints.

 After the mould waiting time has elapsed, the trimming

should be done by using weld trimmer of suitable and
approved design without knocking out the mould.
HYDRAULIC WELD TRIMMER
 WELDING PROCESS
 In case of welding of old rails, if it is not possible to use
weld trimmer due to flow of metal at rail head, manual
chipping should be done.

 During the trimming operation, it shall be ensured that the

wedges used in aligning are in their proper places without
loosening, and they are not removed for at least 20 minutes
after stripping.

 The runner and riser must not be removed until cold, and
that too only by knocking towards the rail.
 WELDING PROCESS
 No welding shall be carried out if it is raining. In case, the
rains start while the joint is under execution, immediate
arrangement to adequately cover the site shall be made.

 110 UTS alloy steel rail joints (chrome manganese and

chrome vanadium type) are required to be slowly cooled
immediately after trimming by fixing an insulation hood lined
with asbestos, so as to control the cooling rate of the weld
zone.

 The hood must be kept around the joint for at least 20

minutes
 WELDING PROCESS
 In case of welding of head hardened rails, the average
hardness of the HAZ of the rail becomes considerably less
than the parent rail hardness.

 This lower hardness is due to transformation of rail steel

occurring at cooling rate much lower than that achieved
during the original head hardening operation.

 Such a hardness difference can lead to differential plastic

deformation during wheel rail contact which may cause
localized cupping.
 WELDING PROCESS
 Head hardened rails, therefore, must be subjected to
controlled quenching for a specific time by the
arrangement approved for the technique.
 TRIMMING AND GRINDING
 After the excess metal is trimmed off, the grinding of the
remaining metal on the rail table and the sides of the rail
head shall be carried out only with rail profile guided
grinding trolley of approved design.

 Use of hand files should not be resorted to except in

unavoidable circumstances.

 In the case of in-situ joints, the grinding shall commence

only after the sleeper fastenings are refixed, after the
removal of wedges.
 TRIMMING AND GRINDING
 The rail table shall first be ground down to original profile
and checked by a one metre straight edge.

 This should be followed by grinding of the sides of the rail

head. The accuracy of grinding shall be checked by using
10 cm straight edge.

 While grinding, only light pressure should be applied and

grinding wheel should be moved to and fro to avoid local
over heating.
PROFILE GRINDING
ACCEPTANCE TEST
 VISUAL INSPECTION

 DIMENSIONAL CHECK

 USFD
Tolerance of Finished Weld
Tolerances after Welding
 SAMPLE TEST JOINT

 ONE OUT OF 100 JOINT RANDOMLY

(AS PER IRS-T-19-2012)
 HARDNESS
 TRANSEVERSE LOAD/DEFLECTION TEST
 POROSITY
VISUAL SURFACE EXAMINATION
 Welded joint shall be cleaned and examined
carefully to detect any visible defect like
cracks, blow holes, shrinkage, mismatch,
surface finish (smooth surface finish required)
 Etc. Joint which shows visible defect shall be
considered as defective.The bottom of the
joint shall be checked by feeling with fingers
as well as inspected with the help of a mirror
for presence of `fins` at the parting line of the
mould. If fin is observed in joint shall be
consired as defective
CHECKING OF WELD METAL
DIMENSIONS
 WELD METAL DIMENSIONS OF TEST
WELD SHALL BE COMPARED WITH
APPROVED WELD METAL
DIMENSIONS OF THAT PARTICULAR
AT WELDING TECHNIQUE AND IT
SHALL BE WITHIN THE RANGE
SPECIFIED AS MENTIONED IN THE
APPROVAL OF THE TECHNIQUE.
 Hardness Test
 Brinell hardness test shall be carried out at the welded
zone, heat affected zones and parent metal of the rails in
accordance with IS:1500, “ Method for Brinell Hardness test
for steel”.

 The test shall be done on the top surface of the head of the
test weld with a ball of 10 mm dia and a test load of 3000
kg maintained for 10 secs.
 For R 260 RAILS HARDNESS -260-300
 FOR HEAD HARDENED RAIL -340-390
 FOR 1175 HT GRADE RAIL 350-390
 Hardness Test
 For 25mm gap SKV welding & for any preheating device
used. (Air-petrol/ Compressed Air Petrol/ Oxy-LPG)
 X = 40 mm Y = 100 mm

 For 50mm gap combination joint welding & for any

preheating device used.
 X = 60 mm Y = 120 mm

 For 75 mm wide gap welding & for any preheating device

used
 X = 80 mm Y = 150 mm
Hardness Test

107
108
109
 Transverse Load Breaking Test
 The test weld shall be supported on cylindrical or semi-
cylindrical supports having a distance of one metre between
them from center to center.

 The weld shall be at the centre of the span and loaded in

such a manner that the foot of the rail is in tension. The
diameter of mandrel and the supports shall be between 30
to 50mm.

 The load shall be gradually increased (rate of loading shall

not exceed 2.5t/sec.) till rupture occurs.
111
 Porosity Test
 If the fracture does not occur through weld, a slice shall be
cut transversely at the weld and etched in boiling 1:1
Hydrochloric acid for about 20 minutes to determine casting
defects if any.

 The fractured surface of the weld, or in case where macro -

etching is done on transverse section through the joint, shall
not show defects such as blow holes, porosity and inclusions
etc. having individual size greater than 2mm dia.
 Porosity Test
 There shall not be more than three defects of size < 2mm
dia. The distance between two defects of size < 2mm dia.
shall not be less than 20mm.

 The macro - etched transverse section shall not show cracks

of length 2mm or greater.

 The defects should not be interconnected and none of these

shall extend up to the outer surface of the weld.
 Porosity Test
 There shall not be any lack of fusion and clustered
porosities.

 The fractured surface shall also not show the presence of

accretions or mirror like surface and shall be crystalline in
appearance

 For A.T. welds of 110UTS rails, 90UTS/NCC rails, 90UTS/Cu-

Mo rails, fractured surface or in case where macro etching is
done on transverse section through the joint, shall not show
defects such as blow holes, porosity and inclusions etc.
Macro Examination

116
Macro Examination

117
FUSION ZONE-SHAPE AND
DIMENSION
 After macro examination, measurements of
the fusion zone shall be made on the cuts
illustrated in Fig. 2 the minimum distance X
(Fig. 2) between the parent rail ends before
welding and the fusion line shall be equal to or
greater than 3mm. The measurement of X
shall be made using datum marks to locate
the original position of the rail ends
FUSION ZONE-SHAPE AND
DIMENSION
 Key
 * Datum marks
 1. Fusion line
 2. Rail ends before welding
 3. Rail head
 4. Rail foot
FUSION ZONE-SHAPE AND
DIMENSION
FUSION ZONE-SHAPE AND
DIMENSION
 1-FUSION LINE
 2-RAIL ENDS BEFORE WORKING
 3 –RAIL HEAD
 4-RAIL FOOT
 FUSION WELD SHAPE

WIDTH OF THE VISIBLE HEAT AFFECTED ZONE TO

BE MEASURED AT THE WELD LONGITUDINAL
CENTRE LINE OF THE RUNNING SURFACE.
VISIBLE HEAT AFFECTED ZONE.
UNAFFECTED PARENT RAIL.
WELD FUSION ZONE.
AREA OF FUSION ZONE TO BE EXAMINED
MICROSCOPICALLY.
AREA OF VISIBLE HEAT AFFECTED ZONE TO BE
EXAMINED MICROSCOPICALLY.
FUSION ZONE-SHAPE AND
DIMENSION
 Figure-2: Shape of fusion zone on the etched
longitudinal vertical section The fusion zone
shall exhibit a symmetrical shape about the
welding gap. The Visible heat affected zones
on each side of the weld shall be measured on
the rail running surface centre line. The visible
heat affected zone shall be symmetrical about
the longitudinal axis of the rail and transverse
axis of the weld.
PROCEDURE FOR MICROSCOPIC
EXAMINATION OF THE VISIBLE HEAT
AFFECTED ZONE AND FUSION ZONE OF
WELDS
Samples for microscopic examination shall be
taken in accordance with Figure given
below. The samples shall be prepared and
etched in 2% Nital.
Micro Structure
Micro Structure
MICRO STRUCTURE
EXAMINATION
 The structure of the fusion zone and
heat afeected zone checked by X-100
magnification –no bainite and
martensite micro structure
WELD METAL CHEMISTRY TEST:
 Full chemical analysis is to be
conducted on the rail weld running
surface at 10mm
 away from the weld transverse axis.

The chemical composition of the

weld so
 determined shall conform to the

following
The firm shall define the mean value for each element
with a working range in Table
above. Actual values shall not vary by more than the
working range and this range shall
fit within the permitted range
* Either Vanadium or Molibdenum may be used as
grain refiner.
+In case single shot crucible is used, the maximum
limit of Si% may be taken as
1.20 % for 90 UTS /R260/1080 Head Hardened rail,
PRECAUTIONS
 TRAINED WELDING SUPERVISER
 TRAINED WELDER
 SUPERVISE NOT MORE THAN TWO WELDING
TEAM (WITH IN 50 m)
 PORTION MATCHING TYPE & CHEMISTRY
 END SQUARENESS & VERTICALITY
 PERFECT ALIGNMENT
 PERFECT CLEANING OF ENDS
PRECAUTIONS (contd..)
 STOP WATCH
 PRESSURE IN THE TANKS
 CORRECT GAP AT HEAD,WEB & FOOT
 CORRECT PREHEATING TIME
 CLEANING OF NOZZLES OF BURNER
 CORRECT TAPPING & MOLD WAITING TIME
 GLOVES & COLORED GLASSES
PRECAUTIONS (contd..)

LATERAL WEAR >6mm
 NO WELD SHOULD LIE WITHIN 4 m OF ANY
OTHER WELD/FISHPLATED JOINT

 APPROVED AGENCY, SUPPLIER

 NO WELDING IF IT IS RAINING

 WELDING ONLY BY TRAINED WELDER

 COMPETENCY CERTIFICATE
 WELDING 72 UTS & 90 UTS WITH STD GAP

 WIDE GAP WELDING

 110 UTS RAILS

 DEPARTMENTAL BY TPP Lucknow & TWC

(Thermit Welding Center) Vijaywada

 FIRMS BY RDSO
 COMPETENCY TRAINING(Ref: Rly Bd’s
Lr No. E(MPP)99/19/1/Vol.III dtd.21.03.06)
Category Course Syllabi Periodicity Duration Agency

TM/ Initial TW-1 - 2 weeks TPP/TWC

Welder Course

TM/ Refresher TW-2 2 years 1 week TPP/TWC

Welder Course

JE, SE, Course for TW-3 Based on 1 week TPP/TWC

SSE Welding performance
(P.Way) Sup.
REFRESH TW-4 TWO TPP/TWC
ER DAYS
COURSE
 MISCELLANEOUS
 First train after 30 min of pouring of
weld metal
 Before passage of train – remove
wedges, shift joint sleeper, pack shifted
sleeper
 USFD testing
 Painting of weld collar.
 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

 AT WELDING WITH THREE PIECE MOULDS

 COMPRESSED AIR PETROL PREHEATING
SYSTEM
 COMBINATION JOINT(50mm) &
DIFFERENT GRADE RAILS
 WIDE GAP (75mm) WELDING
 ONE SHOT CRUCIBLE
 SELF TAPPING THIMBLE
THREE PIECE MOULDS

M/S ITC, KANPUR

M/S HTI/RAIPUR
COMPRESSED AIR PETROL
COMBINATION JOINT

60 Kg 90 UTS/52 Kg 90 UTS
APPROVED FOR M/s ITC
APPROVAL FOR M/s
HTI/RAIPUR UNDER
DEVELOPMENT

50mm
WIDE GAP WELDING
ONE SHOT CRUCIBLE
FATIGUE TEST ARRANGEMNENT
FOR AT WELDS
 The inner span (W) shall be a minimum 150
mm plus weld collar width under the foot.
 The outer span (L) shall exceed the inner span
by at least twice the rail height (H) and
 shall be symmetrical about the inner span
 LW+2H
 The inner and outer spans shall be measured
and recorded. The distances from the centre
 line of the actuator to the loading points shall
be measured and recorded. Corresponding
 dimensions on either side of the actuator
centre line should not differ by more than 3
mm.
FATIGUE TEST ARRANGEMNENT
FOR AT WELDS
 The radius of curvature of the loading
points shall not be less than 40 mm. The
loading
 point contact surfaces shall be free to
translate or rotate so that friction
between the loading
 points and the specimen is minimized.
 Fatigue testing of thermit welding technique
shall be arranged by the firm at his own
expense. Following principle shall be followed:
i) For 90UTS metallurgy Anyone section out of
52kg / 60kg (when both the sections have
been developed the lighter section should be
selected for fatigue testing).
 ii) For R260 metallurgy Anyone section out of
60Kg / 60E1
 iii) For 1175 HT metallurgy Anyone section
out of 60Kg / 60E1
FATIGUE TEST
 DEVELOPMENT OF ANY OTHER AT WELDING
TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS WIDER GAP,1080
HEAD HARDENED RAILS SHALL ALSO BE GOT
SEPARATELY FATIGUE TESTED BEFORE
STANDARDISATION. HOWEVER, ONE
SECTION FOR ONE TECHNIQUE SHALL BE
REQUIRED TO BE FATIGUE TESTED.
 THE WELD SAMPLES SHALL BE TESTED IN A
RECOGNIZED /TEST CENTRE
FATIGUE TEST
 THREE WELD SAMPLES SHALL BE MADE IN
PRESENCE OF RDSO REPRESENTATIVES.
 THE WELD SAMPLE SHALL BE MADE WITH
ONE METER LONG NEW RAIL PIECES TO
HAVE AN OVERALL LENGTHN OF 2.00 M .THE
RAIL AND JOINT SHALL BE ULTRASONICALLY
TESTED.
 TESTING SHALL BE DONE FOR STRESS
RANGE OF TENSILE 20KG/MM TO
COMPRESSIVE 4KG/MM (THESE ARE THE
BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE RAIL FOOT)
FATIGUE TEST
 THE TEST FREQUENCY SHALL BE ANYONE
FREQUENCY BETWEEN 8.33 TO 12.00 HZ
 A JOINT SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE PASSED
IF IT IS WITHSTAND A MINIMUM OF 2
MILLION CYCLES EXCEPT FOR JOINTS OF
1175 HT GRADE RAILS A JOINT SHALL BE
DEEMED TO HAVE PASSED IF IT WITHSTAND
A MINIMUM OF 5 MILLION CYCLES.
 THE TECHNIQUE SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE
CLEARED FATIGUE TEST IF ALL THE THREE
SAMPLES PASS THE ABOVE TEST.
SELF TAPPING THIMBLE
 Marking of Joints

 Each joint shall have a distinctive mark indicating month,

year, agency, welder’s code and weld number of the welded
joint.

 This should be done by punching on an aluminium strip of

suitable thickness and dimension of 30 X 100 mm which
should be fixed to the web of the rail with epoxy adhesive at
approximately 300 mm from the joint.

 The welded joints shall be serially numbered in a kilometer.

 Marking of Joints

 Repair welds/additional welds done at a later date may be

given continuing weld number in that kilometer.

 For example, the last thermit weld in a particular

kilometer was 88 and subsequently a thermit weld has
been executed, it shall be numbered 89, irrespective of its
location in that kilometer.

 PWI shall maintain ‘Thermit Weld Register’ as per program

given in Annexure 5 of Thermit welding manual.

 No punch marking should be done on the rail.

Marking of Joints
Marking of Joints
For Contractor Marking
PAINTING OF WELD COLLAR
 NORMAL CORROSION (ONCE IN 4 Yrs)
 NEW JOINT (IS-9862-1981)
 OLD JOINT (IS-9862-1981 OR IRS-P-30-1996)

 SEVERE CORROSION (EVERY YEAR AS PER

PARA 249(I) 0F IRPWM)
 NEW JOINT (M&C/PCN-111/88)
 OLD JOINT (M&C/PCN-111/88)
 PAINTING OF WELD COLLAR
 Painting of weld collar should be done on all welds to
protect them against corrosion immediately after the
welding.

 In service painting (maintenance painting) of thermit welds

should be carried as per following frequency:
 Once in four years in areas not prone to corrosion.
 Every year at locations prone to corrosion as defined in para 249 (i)
of IRPWM. The frequency may be increased depending on the site
conditions.
 On condition basis at locations which are prone to severe corrosion
(areas of severe corrosion to be decided by territorial Chief
Engineer/Chief Track Engineer).
PROCEDURE FOR PAINTING
OF WELD COLLAR FOR
THERMIT WELDED RAIL
JOINTS
NORMAL CORROSION
 NEW WELDED JOINT

 Surface preparation
 Remove dust, loose rust and mill scale by wire
brushing.

 Scrub welded area with water to make it free

from slag and other water soluble compounds.
Make it dry.
 NORMAL CORROSION
 Painting Procedure
 Apply one coat of ready mixed paint, brushing,
bituminous black, lead free, acid, alkali , water and
chlorine resisting ,conforming to IS: 9862-1981 on
the welded area and 10cm on either side.

 After eight hours drying , apply a second coat of the

same paint.

 Painting should be carried out by brush only

 NORMAL CORROSION
 MAINTENANCE PAINTING (FOR OLD
PAINTED JOINTS)

 Surface preparation
 Remove dust, dirt and flaked paint from the welded
joint by wire brushing.
 Degrease the surface by petroleum hydrocarbon or any
other suitable solvent, if oil or grease is present.
 Allow it to dry.
 NORMAL CORROSION
 Painting procedure
 Apply one coat of ready mixed paint, brushing
bituminous black, lead free, acid , alkali and chlorine
resistant to IS:9862-1981 or bituminous emulsion to
IRS: P-30-1996 on welded area and 10 cm on either
side.

 If required, a second coat of the same paint may be

applied after a minimum of eight hours drying.

 Painting should be carried out by brush.

SEVERE CORROSION
 NEW WELDED JOINTS

 Surface preparation
 Remove dust, loose rust and mill scale by wire
brushing
 Scrub welded area with water to make it free
from slag and other water soluble compounds.
Make it dry.
 SEVERE CORROSION
 Painting procedure
 Apply one coat of high build epoxy paint (two pack)
conforming to RDSO specification No. M&C/PCN-
111/88 on the welded area up to 10 cm on either
side.
 SEVERE CORROSION
 MAINTENANCE PAINTING(FOR OLD
PAINTED JOINTS)

 Surface preparation:
 Remove dust, dirt and flaked paint from the welded
joint by wire brushing.
 Degrease the surface by petroleum hydrocarbon or
any other suitable solvent, if oil or grease is present.
Allow it to dry
SEVERE CORROSION
 Painting procedure
 Apply one coat of high build epoxy paint (two
pack) conforming to RDSO specification no.
M&C/PCN-111/88 on the welded area up to 10
cm on either side.

 RDSO specification no. M&C/PCN-111/88 has

been circulated vide RDSO’s letter no.
M&C/PCN/II/TR/3 dt: 13/14-5-1991
COMPOSITION OF THERMIT WELDING
TEAM (COMPRESSOR TANK- WISE)
LIST OF EQUIPMENT FOR ALUMINO –
THERMIC WELDING
 STRENGTH

YIELD STRENGTH
S. TYPE OF YIELD UTS
N RAIL STRENGTH (MPA)
o (MPA)
RAIL WELD RAIL WELD

1 72 UTS 441 445 755 716

2 90 UTS 539 559 978 779

MAJOR DEFECTS IN AT
WELDS

 LACK OF FUSION
 CUPPING
 SAND INCLUSION
 CRACKING OF WELD AFTER COOLING
MAJOR DEFECTS IN AT
WELDS
 POROSITY
 SLAG
INCLUSION
MAJOR DEFECTS IN A.T. WELDING
BECAUSE OF IMROPER WELD
EXECUTION
 Storage of A.T. Portion
 Stores should be dry, well ventilated, and where required
light, power and running water should be available.

 In all cases building construction should be in compliance

with the FIRE regulations applicable to the substances being
stored.

 Consideration shall also be given to the relevant regulations

issued in this respect. The appropriate notices should be
displayed where material such as Thermit Portions and
Igniters are stored.
 Storage of A.T. Portion
 Portions should be stored in a secure, non-combustible
building.

 Portions must not be stored in the same building as

explosive or flammable items (e.g. Fuel, fuel gases,
igniters).

 The sealed boxes must not be opened until immediately

prior to use

 Portions should be used in rotation i.e. first in-first out.

 Storage of A.T. Portion
 Only dry powder extinguishers of appropriate class should
be used in the proximity of Thermit powders.

 Tubes of igniters should be stored in a locked steel

cupboard, or other secure steel container. On no account
must these be stored in the same building as the portions.

 A.T. Portion should not be transported in passenger

coaches. The package containing igniters should be kept in
tin cases/steel containers.
 Permanent Repair of Weld Fracture
 If the fracture is such that, wide gap AT welding can be
adopted, then the total length of fractured ends to be cut
shall be equal to the gap required for wide gap welding.

 Once the two ends are cut, a gap required for wide gap
welding will be created by using rail tensors and joint welded
by wide gap AT welding technique
 Permanent Repair of Weld Fracture
 In case rail closure with required welding gap temporary
repairs, one joint of the closure rail shall be welded without
rail tensor after setting correct gap for welding.

 However, to ensure correct gap during welding of the other

joint, tensor shall be used.
 Permanent Repair of Weld Fracture
 In case rail closure without welding gap that has been
provided at the time of temporary repairs, the rail closure
shall be suitably cut such that the length of the rail to be
finally inserted in track is equal to length of rail removed
from track after fracture minus allowances for two welds
i.e. 50 mm. Once the closure rail is cut, the closure rail will
be welded as per previous slide.

 After welding of joints, a length of track equal to breathing

length or about 125 metres on either side be unfastened
and tapped to ensure equalisation of stress and then
refastened.
Action to be taken after Detection of
defects
 Action to be taken after detection of
defects in AT welds

 For welds classified as defective (DFWO/DFWR)B

AND DFW N in periodic testing of AT welds with
0degree 2MHz , 70degree 2 MHz , 45degree 2 MHz ,
70degree 2 MHz SL probes, 45degree / 2 MHz
Tandem Rig
Action to be taken after detection of
defects in AT welds
 DFWO and DFWR
 In case of defective weld (OFWO/DFWR) on major bridges
& bridge approaches ( 100 Meters either side) and in
Tunnels & on Tunnels approaches (100 Met. either side,)
following action will be taken :

 SE/JE(P.Way)/USFD shall impose speed restriction of 30 Kmph or

stricter immediately and to be continued till defective weld is
replaced. He should communicate to sectional SE/JE (P.Way) about
the flaw location who shall ensure the following :
 Protection of defective weld using clamped joggled fish plate witlii11
24 hrs.
 The defective weld shall re replaced within 3 days of detection.
Probes used for AT weld
Testing
Frequency of testing of AT welds
 In case of welds on major bridges & bridge
approaches (100 m Either side) and in tunnels & on
tunnel approaches (100m either side), the minimum
frequency of testing shall be once in a year.

 Due to unusually high weld failure or other abnormal

development in some sections, Chief Engineer may
order testing of welds early, as per need.
Frequency of testing of AT welds
 Due to unusually high weld failure or other abnormal
development in some sections, Chief Engineer may
order testing of welds early, as per need.

 The testing interval of USFD testing of defective AT

welds should be reduced by 50% of normal testing
interval of AT welds as given in the aforementioned
slide to avoid fractures of defective welds.
 Proposal for TWR

 Through Weld Renewal should be planned after the

welds have carried 50% of the stipulated GMT of
rails. Among the various sections, due for Through
Weld Renewal (TWR) as per this criteria, Chief Track
Engineer will decide inter se priority based on
incidences of defect detection and weld failures.
 Protection for New Weld before
USFD testing
 A thermit welding done in-situ shall be joggled fish plated
with two clamps and supported on wooden blocks of
length in the range of 300-450 mm until tested as good by
USFD.

 Joggled fish plate with clamps or two far end bolts on good
AT welds shall be provided on banks having height 5 m or
more.

 Joggled fish plates with far end tight bolt shall be provided
on AT welds which have undertaken traffic equal to or
more than 50% of stipulated fatigue life (GMT) of the rail.
 Joggling of AT Weld for Bridge
 Joggled fish plate with clamps or two far end bolts on good
AT welds shall be provided on bridges having length of
water way as 100 m or more and on approaches upto 100
m length.

 For all important and major bridge with approach upto 100
m length , joggled fish plate with clamps or two far end
bolt on good AT weld should be provided.
 Joggling of AT Weld for Curve

 Joggled fish plate with clamps or two far end bolts on

good AT welds shall be provided on curves of 3° or
sharper.
 Defective Fractured Joints
 Rail joints welded by a firm shall be guaranteed against
failure which includes failures in execution, acceptance,
acceptance & regular ultrasonic testing and during
service up to 2 years from the date of welding the joints
in track or from the date such welded joints made ‘in
cess’ and inserted in the track are open to traffic.

 Any such welded joints which fail in the criteria given

above within the guarantee period shall be re-welded
free of cost by firm using their portions, equipment,
labour and consumables.
 Defective Fractured Joints
 When one joint is required to be replaced by two joints the
entire code of both the joints shall be borne by the firm.

 However, cumulative number of failed A.T. welds including

rewelded joints in criteria given above up to 2 years, shall
not exceed 2% of the total quantity of joints in a particular
contract.

 A penalty of three times the rate of supply and execution

of joints shall be payable by the firm for each joint failing
in above criteria.
Defective Fractured Joints
 Action as per contract conditions be initiated.

 Railway shall be at liberty to suspend further welding.

 The details of welds executed against a particular

contract, % defective /fractured welds against total
no. of welds executed be compiled as per the
following format:
 Defective Fractured Joints

All defective joints shall be broken with the help of jim crow in
presence of firm’s representative and a joint report be
prepared. Defects observed on fractured faces shall be
recorded in form of photograph/ sketch.
Defective Fractured Joints
 Sectional DEN/Sr. DEN shall carry out
investigation/analysis for all in track fractured joints
and joints broken as per above point. Information
shall be compiled in the format indicated below
 Defective Fractured Joints

 If defective in flange testing, supporting calculation be also

enclosed in terms of Note in Chapter 8 of ‘Manual for
Ultrasonic testing of rails and welds, Revised 2012’.

 The investigation report prepared by sectional DEN/ Sr. DEN

be sent to Executive Director/Track-I, RDSO, Lucknow
through Chief Track Engineer for appraisal and suggesting
further action.
Defective Fractured Joints
 The defective joints taken out of track and fractured
joints be preserved for undertaking investigation by
RDSO, if required.
 Thanks

Any Suggestions?

Contact At : kathal@iricen.gov.in