Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Some factors influencing the transition from shelling to detail fracture

  • Chapter
Residual Stress in Rails

Part of the book series: Engineering Applications of Fracture Mechanics ((EAFM,volume 12-13))

Abstract

The railroad industry perpetually increases the wheel loads used by freight traffic to enhance cost effectiveness. One drawback of the increase in wheel loads is the subsequent increase in the quantity of fatigue defects induced near the top surface of the rail in the region known as the railhead. In particular, the occurrence of horizontal cracks located about 6 to 7 mm (1/4 inch) below the surface of the rail has increased. The horizontal cracks are referred to as shell defects or shells. Shells grow in fatigue driven by the live contact shear stress that occurs at this depth as well as vertical residual stresses that are tensile at this depth. The shells are considered benign in nature since they do not directly cause rail failure. However, the shells may grow out of the horizontal plane to form vertical detail fractures that can lead to rail failure. The initiation of detail fractures is of interest because they are potentially failure causing whereas shelling is comparatively benign. The schematic of wheel/rail contact in Figure 2.1 describes the location of shells and detail fractures [[2.1]].

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Orringer, O., Morris, J.M., and Steele, R.K. “Applied research on rail fatigue and fracture in the United States”, Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 1, 23–49 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Groom, J.J., “Determination of residual stresses in rails”, Battelle Columbus Laboratories, report no. DOT/FRA/ORD-83/05, May 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Schilling, C.G. and Blake, G.T., “Measurement of triaxial residual stresses in railroad rails”, report no. R-477, AAR Chicago Technical Center, Chicago, IL, March 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ghonem, H., Kalousek, J., Stone, D.H., and Lanfer, E.F., “Aspects of plastic deformation and fatigue damage of pearlitic rail steel”, Proc. Second International Heavy Haul Railway Conference, 339–342 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Farris, T.N., Keer, L.M., and Steele, R.K., “The effect of service loading on shell growth in rails”, Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids 35(6), 677–700 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Steele, R.K., “Recent North American experience with shelling in railroad rails”, report no. R-699, AAR Chicago Technical Center, Chicago, IL, September 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Goldstein, R.V. and Salganik, R.L., “Brittle fracture of solids with arbitrary cracks”, International Journal of Fracture 10, 507–523 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cotterell, B. and Rice, J.R., “Slightly curved or kinked cracks”, International Journal of Fracture 16, 155–169 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Muskhelishvili, N.I., Some Basic Problems on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity, Noordhoff, Amsterdam, 1952.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Karihaloo, B.L., Keer, L.M., Nemat-Nasser, S., and Orantratnachai, A., “Approximate description of crack kinking and curving”, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics 48, 515–519 (1981).

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Sumi, Y., Nemat-Nasser, S., and Keer, L.M., “On crack branching and curving in a finite body”, International Journal of Fracture 21, 67–79 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Sumi, Y., Nemat-Nasser, S., and Keer, L.M., “On crack stability in a finite body”, Engineering Fracture Mechanics 22(4), 759–771 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Nilsson, F., “A note on stress singularity at a non-uniformly moving crack tip”, Journal of Elasticity 4, 73–75 (1974).

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Radok, J.R.M., “On the solution of problems of dynamic plane elasticity”, Quarterly of Applied Mathematics 14, 289–298 (1956).

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Xu, Y. and Keer, L.M., “Nonplanar deviation of an initially straight moving crack”, Journal of Engineering Fracture Mechanics (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rice, J.R., Mathematical analysis in the mechanics of fracture, in: Fracture Vol. II (H. Liebowitz, ed.), Academic Press, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Yoffe, E. H., “The moving Griffith crack”, Philosophical Magazine 42, 739–750 (1951).

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Chipperfield, C.G. and Blicblau, A.S., “Modelling of rolling contact fatigue in rails”, Rail International 15(1), 25–31 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hearle, A.D. and Johnson, K.L., “Mode II stress intensity factors for a crack parallel to the surface of an elastic half-space subjected to a moving point load”, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 33, 61–81 (1985).

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yoshimura, H., Rubin, C.A., and Hahn, G.T., “A technique for studying crack growth under repeated rolling contact”, Wear 95, 29–34 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Bhargava, V., Hahn, G.T., and Rubin, C.A., “Analysis of cyclic crack growth in high strength roller bearings”, Tlxeoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 5, 31–38 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Sheppard, S., Barber, J.R., and Comninou, M., “Short subsurface cracks under conditions of slip and stick caused by a moving compressive load”, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics 52, 811–817 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sheppard, S., Barber, J.R., and Comninou, M., “Short subsurface cracks under conditions of slip, stick, and separation caused by a moving compressive load”, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics 54, 393–399 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Miller, G.R., “A preliminary analysis of subsurface crack branching under a surface compressive load”, ASME Journal of Tribology 110, 292–297 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Yu, M. M.-H. and Keer, L.M., “Growth of the shell/transverse defect in rails”, ASME Journal of Tribology 111, 648–654 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Broek, D. and Rice, R.C., “Prediction of fatigue crack growth in rail steels”, final report under contract DOT-TSC-1076, Battelle Columbus Laboratories, Columbus, OH, September 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Farris, T.N., Keer, L.M., and Steele, R.K., “Life prediction for unstable shell growth in rails”, ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry 112(2), 175–180 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. T. N. Farris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y. Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. M. Keer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Transportation, Cambridge, USA

    Oscar Orringer

  2. Cracow Institute of Technology, Cracow, Poland

    Janusz Orkisz

  3. Central Research Institute of the Polish State Railways, Warsaw, Poland

    Zdzisław Świderski

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Farris, T.N., Xu, Y., Keer, L.M. (1992). Some factors influencing the transition from shelling to detail fracture. In: Orringer, O., Orkisz, J., Świderski, Z. (eds) Residual Stress in Rails. Engineering Applications of Fracture Mechanics, vol 12-13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1787-6_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation