TESTS OF ELECTRIC FLASH BUTT-WELDED RAILS

This paper describes rolling-load tests and physical tests of specimens of 131 and 130-lb electric flash butt-welded rails which were undertaken to determine if stress relief treatment would be necessary. The 131-lb. rail was set up for rolling-load tests of weld 73 in. in a 33-in. stroke rolling-load machine. The second rolling-load test was made on weld 52 in the 131-lb. rail, which was supplied with all the flash metal ground off except under the rail base. 1. The first two-rolling load tests that failed at a bolt hole and stress raiser on the rail webs emphasize the damaging effects of such conditions. 2. The rolling-load tests which ran over 2,000,000 cycles with 60,000-lb. wheel load without failure, are considered very satisfactory for welded rails. 3. The bend tests of 132-lb rails gave higher tests than unwelded 131-lb. rails, and as high as any previously tested rail welds. 4. Some of the physical tests indicate that the welds which were not stress relieved were slightly stronger than the stress relieved welds. However, the difference is negligible and no conclusions on this subject should be based on tests of only two welds.

Corporate Authors:
American Railway Engineering Association

59 East Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL United States 60605
Authors:
- Cramer, R E
- Jensen, R S
Publication Date: 1954

Media Info

Features: Photos; Tables;
Pagination: p. 684-694
Serial:
- AREA BULLETIN
- Volume: 55
- Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

TRT Terms: Bending; Bending stress; Cracking; Defects; Dynamic loads; Equipment tests; Hardness; Railroad rails; Stress relieving; Stresses; Technology; Welded rail; Welding
Geographic Terms: United States
Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Rail welding; Test equipment; Web defects; Web defects (Rails)
Subject Areas: Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

Accession Number: 00040781
Record Type: Publication
Files: TRIS
Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM