Dr. Yin Gao
Senior Engineer
Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
Dr. Yin Gao Bio
Yin Gao is a Senior Engineer at the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. He currently manages research projects related to tie and fastener systems. He also provides technical support for other track-related projects at TTCI.
He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. degree in civil engineering, both from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Committee 5 – Track and Committee 30 – Ties.
Research of Engineered Polymer Composite Ties at TTCI
Engineered polymer composite (EPC) ties offer a potential alternative to solid sawn wood ties, particularly in area of high rot and high decay. However, the railroad industry, through numerous implementations, trials, and tests in revenue service track, has witnessed varied quality and performance from EPC ties. Failure modes of EPC ties have primarily included spike-hole cracking, center cracking, and tie plate cracking. Increases in gage due to thermal expansion of the tie itself also has been identified in research. Existing American Railway Engineering Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Manuals do not have sufficient guidelines to address these issues, thus driving the research needs of developing new test methods/recommendations to ensure the performance of EPC ties.