What is it about?
When free rail ends of rail joints evolve because of contraction of rail in winter, its effects on railhead damage is significant and need an investigation to find the degree of damage of top and sub-surface railhead material. A non-linear 3D finite element analysis is carried out to assess it. It is then verified by laboratory testing. The railhead material of rail joints of 5mm and 10mm endpost is more sensitive to permanent deformation compared to that of the corresponding undamaged rail joints. Therefore, free rail end joints pose an increased potential threat to rail operations in relation to crack initiation, damage and premature failure of railhead material.
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Why is it important?
There is significant interest in research to investigate the mechanical behaviour and failure of rail joints with the aim of increasing their fatigue life.
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This page is a summary of: Ratchetting damage of railhead material of gapped rail joints with reference to free rail end effects, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part F Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, February 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0954409715625361.
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Resources
Journal paper on Thermal load
Both thermal load and vertical wheel load on wheel/rail contact are employed
Journal paper on impact force
P1 and P2 forces are developed and presented
Journal paper on sub-modelling
Sub-modelling strategy is presented
Journal paper on free end effects of rail
How free rail ends can change the mechanical behaviour of rail joints are presented
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