FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF VARIOUS GRADES OF STEEL CASTINGS AND THE INFLUENCE OF CAST SURFACES

This investigation evaluated the fatigue properties of three commercial grades of cast steel utilized by the railroad industry. The tests were conducted using a 3/8 inch thick (.95 cm) ten inch (25.4 cm) long flat plate specimen tested in reversed bending about a zero mean load. The specimens were provided by different manufacturers with their actual cast surfaces. Significant differences existed in the fatigue behavior of the specimens from different manufacturers for each grade of steel. The results were rationalized considering four parameters: hardness, surface conditions, decarburization and inclusions at the surface. From this analysis, it was concluded that pits or irregularities in the cast surface rather than surface roughness determine the final fatigue behavior. From the various types of inclusions produced at the surface by mold-metal or gas-metal reactions, those that penetrated from the cast surface with a crack-like oxide along the grain boundaries were the most deleterious to the endurance ratio at all tensile strengths. Casting surface defects as pinholes, laps, slag or sand inclusions caused large reductions of the endurance life.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Cast Met for Struct and Pressure Containment Appl, presented at the ASME Winter Annual Meeting, New York, New York, December 2-7, 1979.
• Corporate Authors:

  IIT Research Institute

  10 West 35th Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Maino, R
  • Wallace, J F
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 439-479
• Serial:
  • Publication of: IIT Research Institute
  • Publisher: IIT Research Institute

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cast steel; Casting; Fatigue strength; Freight cars; Hardness; Metallurgy; Quality control; Roughness
• Old TRIS Terms: Freight car components
• Subject Areas: Construction; Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00312157
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC-11
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 26 1980 12:00AM