BEHAVIOUR OF THE METAL OF RAILS AND WHEELS IN THE CONTACT ZONE - RESIDUAL STRESSES IN THE RAIL (CONTINUED) STUDY OF THE WORK-HARDENED ZONE

This report contains the results of measurements taken to study the work-hardening caused by traffic, and more especially the changes in the residual stresses in the rails near the running tread which constitute an important factor in the study of rail fatigue phenomena. About 5 mm below the surface the work-hardening is very large, and the rail is the center of a hydrostatic pressure zone extending down to a depth of approximately 10 mm, this then changing into a tensile one with a maximum at about 15 mm. This may explain why the fatigue cracks (of the kidney-shaped flaw type) tend to originate at a depth of 10 to 20 mm but do not develop in the upper highly compressed zone. Furthermore, the residual-stress fields vary from one section of the rail to another, probably as a result of the oscillations of the wheel-loads due to short-wave rail corrugations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Question C53 Restrictions on the use of this document are contained in the explanatory material.
• Corporate Authors:

  International Union of Railways

  Office of Research and Experiments
  Utrecht,   Netherlands 
• Publication Date: 1970-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 58 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete hardening; Dynamics; Fatigue (Mechanics); Fatigue (Physiological condition); Hardness; Railroad rails; Railroad traffic; Residual stress; Stresses; Technology; Train track dynamics; Wheels
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• Old TRIS Terms: Question c53; Rail stress
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040416
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: C53/RP 6/E
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 22 1976 12:00AM