Strength characteristic determination of a flat wagon carrying structure with a lower centre of gravity

The study deals with application of flat wagons with lower centre of gravity for transportation of heavy containers and military equipment. A special feature of the wagon structure is the presence of swivel sectors, which are made of composite material. The wagon structure makes it possible to conduct fire by military equipment in motion. The results of determination of the dynamic load for a flat wagon in shunting impacts are presented. The authors defined the basic strength characteristics of the carrying structure of a flat wagon. The calculation was conducted with the finite element method in CosmosWorks software. The results of the calculation proved the efficiency of the solutions taken. The study also presents the fatigue calculation for the carrying structure of a flat wagon designed. The research may encourage engineers to design the unified carrying structures of flat wagons, and improve the rail transport efficiency