Fatigue Crack Initiation Properties of Rail Steels

PDFTech ReportFRA/ORD-82-05, DOT-TSC-FRA-81-22CrackingFatigue (Mechanics)Laboratory testsMathematical modelsRail (Railroads)Rail steelStress ratioUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Railroad AdministrationRice, Richard C.Broek, D.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, (U.S.)Battelle Memorial Institute. Columbus LaboratoriesUnited States. Federal Railroad AdministrationAGR-INFRASTRUCTURE-RailroadsNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-RAIL TRANSPORTATIONNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Vehicle DesignNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterFatigue crack initiation properties of rail-steels were determined experimentally. One new and four used rail steels were investigated. The effects of the following parameters were studied: stress ratio (ratio of minimum to maximum stress in a cycle), control mode, specimen orientation, and periodic overstrain. Both constant and variable strain amplitude experiments were performed. A model was developed, employing an equivalent strain parameter, which allowed prediction of variable amplitude fatigue crack initiation within the basic data variability