RESULTS OF ROLLING-LOAD AND SLOW-BEND TESTS OF BUTT WELDED RAIL JOINTS

In the period between October 1, 1966 and October 1, 1967, 22 rolling-load tests were conducted on butt welded rail joints but no slow-bend tests were conducted. These butt welded rail joints were made by the oxyacetylene and electric flash butt welding process. The rolling-load tests were made on a 12-in-stroke rolling-load machine. Investigation 214 (samples A through F) was conducted to determine the seriousness of hairline cracks (segregation and pipe) on oxyacetylene pressure butt weld quality. Five of the six joints with stood 2,000,000 cycles of repeated loadings without failure, which is considered a run-out, and one joint (214E) failed after 897,100 cycles. A macroscopic examination made on transverse sections cut from the end of each rail prior to welding indicates that this failure originated from a fishtail. Investigation 220 (samples A through F) is a continuation of the problem presented in investigation 214 but was conducted to determine the effects of hairline cracks on joints from rails of heavier sections. It was found that fatigue of the failed specimens originated in the fillet between the head and web and can be attributed to a shear drag introduced while removing the weld upset. Investigation 226 (samples A and B) was conducted to evaluate two electric flash butt welded joints from which the upset metal had been ground from the top and sides of the head and bottom and sides of the base but not removed from the web. An examination of the fracture surface to determine the fracture mechanics indicates that this failure originated in the fillets between the web and upset metal. Investigation 230 (samples A and B) was conduced to evaluate oxyacetylene pressure butt welded joints made with a new type of welding head. Joint 230A failed after 33,500 cycles of repeated loading and joint 230B withstood the 2,000,000 cycle minimum requirement without failure. This failure can be attributed to the lack of fusion at the weld interface.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1968-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 589-597
• Serial:
  • AREA BULLETIN
  • Volume: 69
  • Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Dynamic loads; Failure; Fatigue (Mechanics); Fatigue (Physiological condition); Railroad rails; Technology; Welded rail; Welding
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Rail failure; Rail welding; Splitting (Rails); Web defects; Web defects (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040472
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Bulletin 612
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 22 1976 12:00AM