IEME Brasil held on April 13th, in the Address Hotel convention room, in São Paulo, a meeting of the company’s key employees to align procedures, in accordance with the standards required by the certifications obtained by IEME. The objective of the meeting was to raise awareness among leaders about the need to meet the requirements of the Integrated Management System (ISO 9001, ISO 17020 and ISO 17025), as a way of improving the internal flows of the organization’s management processes, interconnecting the company’s areas based on the quality manuals, procedures, instructions and forms already defined. The meeting dealt with the Certifications of Consulting Engineering and Urban Development (ISO 9001), Accredited Infrastructure Inspection (ISO 17020) and LAEDE (ISO 17025).

The meeting was led by engineer and consultant Octavio Camerini, who has been a specialist in railway engineering (rolling stock) and quality auditing (automotive) for 38 years, having coordinated one of the first ISO 9001 certifications in Brazil. Camerini is also an accredited inspection manager (ISO IEC 17020 standard) for highway and railway projects and a member of the Brazilian Association of Railway Preservation (ABPF). The engineer explained that the meeting meets the obligation for continuous recycling of leaders and employees in the Certified and Accredited Quality Management System.

“The meeting was very participatory and the next steps involve specific meetings with managers and their teams, where the electronic path of the Management System documents will be presented, aiming to better disseminate knowledge of the procedures and their records”, said Camerini. These documents, added the expert, “must be carefully analyzed by the areas, to adapt to the needs and reality of the practices adopted, but complying with the requirements of the standards involved, which represent technical and administrative contractual requirements between IEME, its customers, its suppliers and Inmetro”.

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Photos: IEME

Photos: IEME

Photos: IEME

Photos: IEME

 

 

Safety and optimization of preventive maintenance are priorities for IEME Brasil and LAEDE when it comes to evaluating their customers’ metro rail systems. To achieve this, the company relies on cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, the result of exchanges and monitoring of studies in some of the most advanced technological centers on the subject. One of the resources adopted by IEME for this purpose is the instrumented wheelset calibrator, studied in Italy by the Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sapienza in Rome and the Polytechnic of Milan, institutions visited by the company.

But what is the instrumented wheelset calibrator?

“The calibrator is a bench designed to apply existing loads on the permanent track onto an instrumented wheel set with the aim of correlating wheel-rail contact forces and deformations. To this end, electrical resistance strain gauges, hydraulic jacks, actuators and various load cells are used, in addition to a structure capable of supporting such loads”, explains engineer Tiago Juliani, Engineering coordinator at IEME Brasil.

There is a variety of information obtained by the calibrated instrumented wheelset. With the passage of the instrumented wheelset, the wheel-rail contact forces and the L/V relationship (lateral force / vertical force of the wheel) are obtained along the entire path of the train, which may indicate problems both on the permanent track as well as in the rolling stock, such as geometric imperfections in the track, welding defects, failures in railway components, poor maintenance of tracks and wheels, among others. Furthermore, the operational risk of the line is assessed with the L/V ratio.

Therefore, the calibrator is adopted whenever a new measurement campaign is carried out with the instrumented wheelset and, if the same previously instrumented wheelset is used, there has been a certain mileage between one campaign and another.

With the presence of President Santiago Peña and members of his government, including the Minister of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), Claudia Centurión, Paraguay inaugurated last Sunday, 3/3, the emblematic Heroes del Chaco Bridge, a cable-stayed structure that connects the capital, Asunción, to the Chaco’i region. The project dates back to 2013, but construction only began in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, employing around 1,500 workers in the region. Once completed, the work should receive around 10,000 vehicles per day, relieving traffic congestion currently on the Remanso bridge, opened in 1978.

The bridge stretches 603 meters over the Paraguay River and has two pillars of 300 meters each with two sails supported by 23 stays on each side. It is the first bridge with four lanes for vehicle circulation, a pedestrian path and a cycle path. Together with access roads and viaducts, the complex totals 7 kilometers from Costanera Norte to its junction with the Remanso-Puerto Falcón section.

In addition to standing out as a new icon in the landscape of Asunción, the bridge also represents a great leap for Paraguayan engineering and for the companies of the Consórcio Unión, formed by CDD Construcciones and Constructora Heisecke. “This work symbolizes a transcendental step, it is the first bridge built by a Paraguayan company, which knew how to rise to the challenge we face in the country. Today we have absolutely nothing to envy an international company, nothing”, said president Santiago Peña.

IEME Brasil and LAEDE had a small but important participation in the work, by carrying out all static and dynamic tests to assess the safety of the structure and allow it to be opened to traffic. It was the first dynamic test of its kind carried out in Paraguay, a decision that shows the seriousness of the current Paraguayan government in relation to its enterprises and infrastructure projects.

See also on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3LxpzPLSTK/?igsh=azk0YW5nMXV1ZzR3

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Puente Héroes del Chaco – Photo: IEME Brasil

Puente Héroes del Chaco – Photo: IEME Brasil

Puente Héroes del Chaco – Photo: IEME Brasil

Puente Héroes del Chaco – Photo: IEME Brasil

Puente Héroes del Chaco – Photo: BNamericas

Puente Héroes del Chaco – Photo: Creative Commons licenses by-sa 40 Overkill53

IEME / LAEDE technical team installing sensors on the Ponte del Chaco. Photo: Shirley Juliani Reproduction

IEME / LAEDE technical team carrying out the load test on the Ponte del Chaco. Photo: Shirley Juliani Reproduction

IEME / LAEDE technical team installing sensors on the Ponte del Chaco. Photo: Shirley Juliani Reproduction

 

 

Versatility and security

Elastomers are polymeric materials with viscoelastic properties, which means they can be stretched and deformed under tension and then return to their original shape when the tension is removed. This unique ability makes these materials extremely versatile and valuable across multiple industries.

In the context of civil and railway construction, elastomers play a crucial role. They are used in large works and railway systems for a series of applications, ranging from shock absorption to vibration isolation. These properties are fundamental to ensuring the safety and adequate performance of structures and systems.

However, to ensure that these elastomers meet the necessary quality and performance standards, it is essential to carry out a series of rigorous tests defined by international Technical Standards. This is where LAEDE – Acoustics and Dynamic and Static Testing Laboratory comes in.

LAEDE, part of IEME Brasil, has extensive experience in high-capacity static and dynamic mechanical testing, which plays a key role in the evaluation and certification of elastomers used in a variety of applications.

The tests carried out by LAEDE include the evaluation of the mechanical and performance properties of materials. This includes quasi-static tests of vertical and shear stiffness, dynamic tests of free and forced vibration, permanent loading, fatigue (mechanical aging) and obtaining the damping coefficient. Additionally, the laboratory is capable of reproducing specific conditions in greenhouse and water environments, which is crucial for testing elastomers in real-world conditions.

The importance of these tests cannot be underestimated. They ensure that elastomers function as expected, providing the necessary shock absorption, vibration isolation and flexibility in various applications. This rigorous assessment also helps identify any wear or degradation over time, ensuring the safety and durability of these materials.

LAEDE is part of the Brazilian Network of Testing Laboratories (RBLE) and is a laboratory accredited by Cgcre in accordance with ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025. This means that the tests meet the highest standards of quality and technical competence. Therefore, when choosing LAEDE to carry out these tests, you can be confident that you are working with experienced and certified professionals.

See more on the LAEDE website.

Do not panic. It’s not an earthquake.

This is Vibrodina at work in LAEDE.

The equipment is used for dynamic testing of forced vibration in metro-railway systems (video) and large structures such as stadiums, bridges, viaducts, dams and buildings. The test allows measuring the following dynamic properties: natural frequency of the system, damping, dynamic stiffness and fatigue performance.

LAEDE performs mechanical tests to verify resistance and reliable performance, using state-of-the-art equipment, and is part of the RBLE, accredited by Cgcre in accordance with ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025.

Check out all services on the website: https://laede.com.br/en/home-english/

Technicians from IEME Brasil and LAEDE are in the field to carry out detailed inspection services in 16 special works of art (bridges or viaducts) and 7 tunnels of the Structural Integrity Management subordinated to the Directorate of Base Metals Atlântico Sul, of Vale, in Parauapebas (PA). The OAE and tunnels are located in the territories of Mineração Onça Puma, Mina do Salobo, Mina do Sossego and Porto São Luiz, in the States of Pará and Maranhão.

The contract began in August 2022 and is expected to end in September 2024. IEME estimates that approximately 30% of the service has already been completed.

Detailed inspection services for OAE and tunnels follow ABNT NBR 9452 – Inspection of Bridges, Viaducts, Concrete Walkways – Procedures and include the following tests:

• Verification of corrosion potential
• Checking the electrical resistivity of concrete
• Sclerometry (NBR-7584) – By tested area
• Chloride ion content
• Sulphate content
• RAA (Alkali Aggregate Reaction)
• Weld penetrant liquid
• Ultrasound
• Infrared thermography
• Pacometry
• Concrete permeability
• Concrete strength – core extraction
• Extensometry test
• Mapping with aerometry (drone)
• Mapping using 3D scanning

The inspection results in detailed reports containing all the reports of the technological tests carried out, informing the state of conservation and any pathologies identified, reporting points of improvement, drawings with the repairs to be made, if the inspection defines it, and the classification grade of each asset , as required by the standard.

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Carrying out the load test on the Itacaiúnas Bridge, using loaded trucks

Top and bottom view of the Itacaiúnas Bridge

Extraction of the specimen with the CP extracted

 

 

Many friends, customers and partners were at stand nº B070, located at Rua B, in front of Gate 18 of São Paulo Expo – SP, where the NT-Expo was held from 02/28 to 03/2.

They are professionals and companies with whom IEME has shared many experiences and challenges, in its more than 30 years of experience in the areas of Engineering Projects (metro-railway systems, bridges, dams, stadiums and structures in general), Urban Development (land regularization, urbanization of settlements, accessibility and social work) and Laboratory Tests (LAEDE) focused on subway railways, civil structures and shock absorbing systems, elastomers, vibration, noise and construction materials.

In addition to welcoming friends and customers, our pleasant surprise was seeing everyone’s interest in the Instrumented Rodeiro and the exclusive service we offer in the use of this resource. This is because, despite being widely used in other countries, in Brazil IEME is the only company able to provide this service without the customer having to spend the large amounts necessary to obtain this instrumentation, systems and interpretation of results.

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NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

NT-Expo 2023

 

 

NT-Expo ended this Thursday, 2/3, but I already miss the meetings and the great exchange of experiences.

Professionals and companies in the metro-railway area know that the most efficient and complete technique for determining the contact forces between the wheels of a railway composition and the track tracks consists of using instrumented wheel sets with electrical resistance strain gauges.

This resource makes it possible to diagnose different anomalous behaviors that lead to safety and operation problems, both in the rolling stock and on the roads. Monitoring makes it possible to detect, for example, wear on wheels or rails, fatigue and damage to vehicles and risk of derailment, among other problems. This information is important for maintenance planning in track operation and is subject to international technical standards.

However, the current commercialization model, currently practiced by foreign companies in Brazil, consists of selling a “single package”, which includes supply and installation of instrumentation, calibration, data acquisition system, telemetry and licensed analysis software, installed on a dedicated computer. The operation of the wheel set is carried out by professionals from the road operator, requiring expenses with training, updates and periodic system licenses. In case of component repair or calibration, the wheel sets must be sent to the manufacturer, usually outside the country, which represents a high cost and time (sometimes months) for shipping, repair and return.

IEME BRASIL, always looking for innovative and appropriate solutions for the Brazilian market, offers a new commercial model of instrumented wheel sets, unprecedented in Brazil, which consists of providing services using equipment and software owned and operated by professionals specialists of its technical team, without the need for purchase by the Operator. The service allows the Customer to have a very low cost compared to the model currently used.

The novelty was presented at NTExpo (São Paulo Expo – SP, from 2/28 to 3/2), Rua B nº B070.

IEME Brasil has just received the INMETRO Accreditation from the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology to act as an Accredited Inspection Body (OIA) and inspect projects and engineering works prepared by public and private companies subject to inspection by regulatory bodies. In Brazil, only 13 companies – including IEME – have OIA status.

Engineer Alexandre Verski, general manager of Project Inspection at IEME, who led the company’s team in the accreditation process with INMETRO, explains that, in the concession contracts for a highway, railway or other road work to the private sector, “all engineering projects, before being executed by the concessionaire, must be approved by the agencies” and the OIA is a kind of “INMETRO representative in the inspection of projects”. Project inspection, therefore, is a mandatory contractual requirement for concessionaires.

From a marketing point of view, the INMETRO Accreditation opens a new front of services for IEME Brasil, a company with more than 30 years of experience in the areas of Engineering Projects (metro-railway systems, bridges, dams, stadiums and structures in general), Urban Development (land regularization, urbanization of settlements, accessibility and social work) and Laboratory Tests (LAEDE) focused on subway railways, civil structures and shock absorbing systems, elastomers, vibration, noise and construction materials.

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