Since many years the LEMSC contributed by its experimental background to the following research projects, in collaboration with D2S International (Belgian company active in all fields of railway noise, vibrations, and dynamics of vehicle, track and superstructures):
· CORRUGATION (2002-2006) – FP5 European project – with the aim of developing solutions for the very expensive corrugation (=undulatory wear) problem in metro and tram networks
· TURNOUTS (2003-2007) – FP6 European project – with the aim of providing new concepts for turnouts in urban rail transit infrastructure
· URBAN TRACK (2006-2010) – FP6 European project – with the aim of providing solutions to achieve a modular urban track infrastructure (tramway, metro, RER) with new and cost effective solutions.
Moreover, a strong collaboration exists since 2013 between LEMSC and MEED research team (Professor Paul Fisette and senior researcher Nicolas Docquier) on the railway researches at UCLouvain. This collaboration made it possible to set up two more projects:
· WHOLETRACK (2015-2020) – Walloon Region project – with the aim of reducing the number of maintenance operations on the railway network (rolling stock and track).
· CRAMIC (2019-2022) – Walloon Region project – with the aim of developing a new technology for the tracks of the harbor cranes, which are moving faster and faster and carrying heavier and heavier loads.
The most impressive contribution of the LEMSC is the construction for WHOLETRACK of a railway of 21 meters long, mounted in real configuration, equipped with many captors (displacements, strain gauges, load cells, …), submitted to static loads, fatigue loads and real boggie loads.
