For the sixth consecutive year, the traditional “Revista Ferroviária” brings its readers a diagnosis of the metro-rail market, recording recent projects in the country. The new study, published in the article “Entrando nos Trilhos” (page 40), Nov/Dec 2024 edition, covers the period of one year, ending in December 2024, and highlights five consulting companies, including IEME Brasil and LAEDE, the company’s laboratory arm.

The report highlights IEME’s work in Baixada Santista, such as the homologation tests for the permanent track of section 2 of the Santos VLT and the certification of executive projects associated with railway infrastructure works in Cubatão. In the capital of São Paulo, also mentioned, IEME is working on the executive project and documentation for the permanent track of Line 4-Amarela (Vila Sonia-Largo do Taboão section).

The report also highlights the company’s services in other cities in the country, with emphasis on the instrumented wheelset service and laboratory testing of ballast and sleepers on the permanent track of the Juriti Railway (PA) and Trombetas Railway, in addition to studies and projects for current engineering works (OAC) and drainage and special engineering works (OAE) on the MRS railway network. Page 44 of the magazine contains a complete list of the services performed by the company during the year.

It is worth remembering that IEME Brasil operates in the areas of accredited inspection of engineering projects and works, through ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17020:2012 certification and in accordance with Inmetro ordinance no. 367; testing of metro-rail components, performed at the LAEDE laboratory, which has ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025 certification; and consulting services, project preparation, testing, instrumentation and field measurements, among other services.

LAEDE, a laboratory for static and dynamic mechanical testing of materials and structural components, which is part of IEME Brasil, begins 2025 strengthened by the modernization process of its facilities and the acquisition of new equipment. The laboratory now has a new hydraulic unit and a new controller for hydraulic actuators, which together increase the company’s efficiency and service capacity.

“The hydraulic unit increases the laboratory’s capacity to perform more simultaneous tests, offering a time saving in these services. With the new controller, the laboratory is now able to control more hydraulic actuators simultaneously, in addition to modernizing the precision of the tests”, explains Lucas Juliani, director of LAEDE. In addition, the new hydraulic unit is more modern from an environmental point of view, providing energy savings of around 30% for its operation.

The equipment particularly benefits the performance of material fatigue tests, which can be performed with greater quality, accuracy and speed. “With this equipment and the ongoing modernization of the laboratory, LAEDE, which has Inmetro accreditation, the only one in Brazil for various tests on metro-rail components, will double its capacity to perform tests, being able to serve its customers much more quickly,” says Marco Juliani, director of IEME.

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After four days of great movement of visitors and exhibitors, InnoTrans 2024, considered the largest railway fair in the world, ends this Friday, September 27th. Held every two years in Berlin, Germany, the event brings together the main players in the sector, from manufacturers and concessionaires to operators and public managers linked to mobility.

The organizer Messe Berlin estimates that this year the fair has surpassed the 2022 visitor mark, which was 132,319 people, from 137 countries.

IEME Brasil / LAEDE was present at InnoTrans 2024 through its technical management team, with the objective of learning about the latest developments and technological advances in the sector, mainly in its areas of activity: consulting engineering and laboratory testing of permanent track components.

In addition, the group held working meetings with Brazilian and foreign clients who also visited the fair.

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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.

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.

Accessibility for people with special needs (public and employees), as well as meeting the basic needs of comfort and safety of employees (in compliance with the NR-24 standard), is one of the focuses of an important contract between IEME Brasil and CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos) for the refurbishment of 11 of the company’s stations.

Initiated in April 2018, the contract for specialized engineering and architecture technical services aims at the elaboration of the executive project for the adaptation of the stations and complete renovations, which include electrical, hydraulic and systems installations, intended to comply with the Fire Department Inspection Report (AVCB).

The work covers the following stations: Mooca, Ipiranga, São Caetano, Utinga, Prefeito Saladino, Santo André, Capuava, Mauá, Guapituba, Ribeirão Pires and Rio Grande da Serra.

So far, the complete executive projects for the renovation and adaptation of Capuava, Prefeito Saladino, São Caetano and Utinga stations have been completed, which have already been tendered and built. Tenders for the construction of the Santo André and Mauá stations are in progress. The executive projects for the other stations had different stages of development, but were interrupted by the client’s decision.

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