About

J. Riley Edwards, Ph.D., P.E., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He serves as the lead of track infrastructure research in the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC). His primary research area relates to the design and performance of railway infrastructure and its components, with specific emphasis on railway sleeper and fastening system design for passenger, transit, and freight applications, focusing on materials and structural design. Edwards also explores the application of artificial intelligence, deep neural networks, and machine vision technology to railroad inspection tasks. He obtained his B.E. in Civil Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His professional experience includes working for the Canadian National Railway as a Construction Inspector and for Hanson Professional Services, Inc. as a Construction Engineer. Since 2007, he has held various positions within RailTEC at Illinois, overseeing rail infrastructure research and advising students in rail engineering. His research contributions include the development of models and indices for track buckling strength, analysis of ballast and sleeper performance, and innovative approaches to railway component design and maintenance, integrating advanced sensing and machine learning techniques.

Research topics

• Engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Computer Science
• Structural engineering
• Automotive engineering
• Construction engineering
• Forensic engineering

Selected publications

• A Comparative Evaluation of under Tie Pads on Railroad Track Maintenance Using Markov Decision Process

  Transportation Geotechnics · 2026-03-15

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Structural Failure of Pretensioned Concrete Sleepers under Cyclic Loading Due to Water Flow in Cracks

  Journal of Transportation Engineering Part A Systems · 2026-02-13

  articleSenior author

  Pretensioned concrete sleepers are vulnerable to structural failure when flexural cracks develop in moisture-rich environments. This study presents experimental evidence showing that water ingress in cracked regions leads to accelerated degradation under cyclic loading. Tests conducted on full-scale sleepers and small-scale prisms revealed that (1) debonding between tendons and concrete significantly increases compressive stresses, and (2) moisture reduces the concrete’s compressive strength. Notably, post-tensioned sleepers exhibited greater resistance to failure under similar conditions. Tendon corrosion, while a long-term concern, was not a contributing factor within the observed failure timeframe. These findings support recommendations for improved drainage and favoring unbonded post-tensioned systems in high-moisture settings.

  PublisherDOI

• Turnout frog optimization through dynamic interaction modeling with revenue service wheel profiles

  Engineering Failure Analysis · 2025-01-28 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  • Wheel transition location from wing rail to point was more influenced by wheel condition compared to train speed. • Lower wing rail height and gradual point slope reduced average wheel impact by 44% compared to existing frog geometry. • The introduction of longitudinal wing slope reduced the average wheel impact by 21% for hollow worn wheels. Railroad turnouts are critical track infrastructure elements which facilitate train movements between adjacent and diverging tracks. The turnout frog, in particular, induces significant wheel impacts as the wheel traverses through the turnout, which leads to frequent maintenance. To mitigate the wheel impact magnitude, this study analyzed the interaction between the wheel and frog using a three-dimensional (3D) explicit finite element (FE) models. The developed FE models were employed to quantify and compare the wheel impact magnitude between the wheel and the turnout frog. Three distinct frog geometries were investigated using five wheels representative of revenue service conditions to consider the worn profiles at three different speeds. The average wheel impact for each case was quantified for each wheel profile and weighted based on its percentage occurrence. The analysis revealed that the frog design with a gradual point slope, lower wing rail height, and longitudinal wing slope exhibited an average wheel impact load reduction of 46 % compared to the existing frog geometry during the wheel transition. This reduction can primarily be attributed to avoiding direct contact between the wheel tread and frog point for wheels in good condition. Additionally, introducing a longitudinal wing slope further reduced the wheel impact by an average of 21 % for hollow worn wheels by preventing the wheel from ‘dropping’ onto the point. However, the reduction in wheel impact was 20 % lower at a train speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) due to the wheel losing contact with the wing rail at the beginning of the longitudinal wing slope. Findings from this study contribute valuable insights for optimizing frog geometry to mitigate wheel impact, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and maintenance of rail infrastructure.

  PublisherDOI

• Compilable States

  2025-05-09

  articleSenior author

  How novice programmers navigate through errors, length of pauses, and states of compilation while writing a program can provide valuable information in computing education research. In this paper, we analyze keystroke datasets collected from assignments of the CS1 course from 44 students from Utah State University. We propose a metric called Average Known Recovery (AKR) to measure and understand the efficiency of students who could resolve their code faster after knowing their program is in an uncompilable state. Surprisingly, we discovered longer pauses were more common in the executable states instead of error states. This suggests that longer pauses are not only driven by the cognitive load or frustration of being in an uncompilable state. Visualization of cursor positions for each event, along with states of compilability, helps to explore the programming flow of students for a particular assignment. These findings can be helpful in designing programming pedagogy and intervention strategies to help novice programmers.

  PublisherDOI

• Performance evaluation of longer crossties in railroad track transition zone: Finite element analysis and laboratory experimentation

  Transportation Geotechnics · 2025-02-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Transition zones in railway tracks are characterized by abrupt changes in the track stiffness which induces differential track displacement and can result in settlement. Failure to promptly address these issues through maintenance activities can lead to accelerated track component degradation and a loss of passenger comfort. This study investigated the effectiveness of a conventional strategy involving the implementation of longer crossties to mitigate abrupt variation of track stiffness especially in the open track to bridge transition. The study initially explored various properties and layouts of elastomers (i.e., rubber pads) through finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the appropriate support condition as an alternative to ballast to ensure consistency across the tests. Different hardnesses and configurations of rubber pads were considered to replicate the behavior of the ballast, and a dual layer of 60 shore A rubber pads with 25 holes exhibited crosstie displacement of 0.16 in. (0.41 cm), aligning with the range of field data. Based on this selected support condition, three different crosstie lengths (i.e., 102 in. [259 cm], 132 in. [335 cm], and 168 in. [427 cm]) were evaluated through both FEA and laboratory experimentation. Modeling results showed a 4.2 % reduction in displacement under the rail seat for the 168 in. (427 cm) crosstie compared to the standard crosstie (i.e., 102 in. [259 cm]). Similarly, laboratory experimentation demonstrated an 8.2 % decrease in vertical rail displacement. These findings suggest that the implementation of longer crossties within the track transition zone may not be considered an ideal methodology for achieving a gradual increase in track stiffness.

  PublisherDOI

• Experimental investigation of track substructure bearing pressures with under tie pads (UTPs)

  Transportation Geotechnics · 2025-09-08

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The implementation of under tie pads (UTPs) in railway track structures has gained attention due to their potential to mitigate track degradation and extend maintenance intervals. This study evaluates the effects of UTPs on substructure bearing pressure through a combination of laboratory and field experiments. A laboratory experiment was first conducted to establish baseline pressure distributions under different UTP configurations and to provide proof of concept of the sensor arrangements for the subsequent field study. The results indicated that minor adjustments in crosstie position caused significant variability in pressure magnitudes with a maximum difference of 93.4 psi (644.0 kPa). This variability may be attributed to changes in ballast particle engagement that modified the vertical load path (i.e., force-chain), as well as variations in support conditions near the rail seat region, both of which contributed to measurement inconsistencies. To mitigate force-chain effects and ensure consistent pressure measurements during field experiments under heavy axle load (HAL) revenue service conditions, pressure cells were deployed at a depth of 16 in. (41 cm) within the sub-ballast layer. The field experiment included three scenarios: a control track and tracks with UTP Types A and B. Results indicated that UTP Type B exhibited the highest median pressure followed by the control track and UTP Type A. All three cases displayed a reduction in pressure over time, which can be attributed to accumulated tonnage leading to gradual stabilization and consolidation of the substructure. This reduction was more pronounced in the UTP padded tracks, highlighting the long-term benefits of UTPs as their impact became more evident with increased tonnage. Additionally, a Risk-Weighted Pressure Index (RWPI) was introduced to better capture and assess the potential risk associated with high-pressure occurrences. The control track showed the highest RWPI values, indicating a greater likelihood of high-pressure occurrences that could accelerate track degradation and lead to substructure failures. These findings highlight the role of UTPs in enhancing track resilience, optimizing substructure performance, and reducing track maintenance demands under HAL conditions.

  PublisherDOI

• Identification of high-impact wheels on rail transit rolling stock through acoustic sensing and machine learning

  Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part F Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit · 2025-08-27

  articleSenior author

  This study investigates the potential for developing and leveraging machine learning algorithms to identify problematic train wheels that generate high impact loads using sound classification analysis. The data used in this research were collected from a heavy rail transit agency in the US. Both the wheel-rail interface load magnitude and sound pressure levels were collected and processed. Each audio sample was transformed into a spectrogram, which provided a visual representation of the sound signal. To classify spectrograms into two distinct categories representative of high impact loads and normal wheel loads, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed and trained on the spectrograms as input, which were labeled based on their loading conditions. The performance of the trained model – 72% accuracy – was satisfactory given constraints present and proves the feasibility to predict railway wheel loading condition based on the sound generated during train passage. This potential alternative method to the current complex system of track-mounted strain gauges for monitoring wheel health could yield substantial benefits to rail operators with limited resources or that require unintrusive or portable wheel condition monitoring.

  PublisherDOI

• Railroad turnout elasticity optimization using revenue service wheel profiles

  Construction and Building Materials · 2025-07-22 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Development and application of the Illinois Buckle Risk Model (IBRM) using multi-source track condition data

  Transportation Geotechnics · 2025-09-04 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  • The Illinois Buckle Risk Model (IBRM) was developed, introduced, and demonstrated. • The model leverages experimentally-verified theory of buckle mechanics. • Combines these with track component and geometry data for strength assessment. • IBRM results are demonstrated on a revenue service Class I Subdivision. • Model outputs allow for maintenance prioritization at various infrastructure levels Track buckles occur more frequently in Continuously Welded Rail (CWR) as they lack joints to accommodate axial thermal expansion. Analysis of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) accident database reveals that buckled-track derailments have been a persistent safety concern for U.S. railroads. The FRA initiated an extensive research program in the 1980 s to develop and experimentally verify a dynamic buckling theory which culminated in the development of the CWR-SAFE software. The Buckle module of CWR-SAFE accepts quantitative track condition input parameters and assesses the buckling risk of track in terms of its Buckling Safety Margin (BSM). BSM is a composite metric that accounts for track strength, rail temperature, and rail neutral temperature. Since the development of CWR-SAFE, there have been notable advancements in track inspection technologies capable of providing high-resolution track health data. The Illinois Buckle Risk Model (IBRM) leverages the outputs from three-dimensional machine vision and track geometry measurements systems into the CWR-SAFE environment to perform buckle risk assessment at an individual crosstie resolution. IBRM uses results from field and laboratory experiments to calibrate inspection system outputs into quantified inputs for CWR-SAFE. The application of IBRM is demonstrated using data collected from a Class I railroad subdivision. BSM calculations show that 1.9% of the subdivision track is in the desired range, 95.7% is in the adequate range, and 2.4% is in the minimum required range. This information can be used to prioritize both capital renewal projects and maintenance interventions. Results also demonstrate the IBRM’s flexibility and scalability for buckle risk assessment.

  PublisherDOI

• A Synthesis of Railway Concrete Crosstie Advancements in North America

  Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board · 2025-05-06 · 2 citations

  article

  There are over 35 million concrete crossties (sleepers) installed in track in North America, with approximately 750,000 to 1,500,000 additional new ones installed annually. These components have been the focus of much research over recent years, which is resulting in significant advancements in their design and use. New solutions are addressing rail seat deterioration, abrasion, splitting, and other issues that have been associated with past derailments or have required major intervention. Moreover, concrete crosstie design is moving toward a performance-based approach, which is more efficient than the traditional prescription-based methods with generous safety factors. Smart crossties are also emerging, which go far beyond the traditional concepts of crosstie application. This paper presents an overall picture of the state of the art of concrete crossties in North America, linking fundamentals, industry challenges, design approaches, recent developments, and trends for the future.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Marcus S. Dersch

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  90 shared

• Christopher P. L. Barkan

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  46 shared

• Arthur de Oliveira Lima

  24 shared

• Yu Qian

  University of South Carolina

  24 shared

• Ryan G. Kernes

  20 shared

• David A. Lange

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  17 shared

• Josué César Bastos

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  15 shared

• Bassem Andrawes

  13 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2019

• M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2006

• B.E., Civil and Environmental Engineering

  Vanderbilt University

  2004