Analysis of Wheel/Rail Contact Stresses and Rail Corrugation

Numerical analysis is conducted with a material-strengthening model to study the residual stresses and accumulated deformation in rails by taking the accumulation effect of plastic deformation and ratcheting effect of rail materials into consideration. The results show that the ratcheting effect of the rail material and the fluctuation of wheel/track contact forces are important factors to initiate stripping of the rail surfaces and short wave corrugation.