Abstract
A methodology for fatigue life prediction of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) crack initiation on railhead was developed. It consists of finite element analyses (FEA), multi-axial fatigue crack initiation models with critical plane approach and fatigue damage accumulation. In simulations, both the global track response and the three-dimensional local elastic-plastic material response caused by the wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact were taking into consideration. It used real train traffic situations in curved sections of Shinkansen site where head checks initiate on the gauge corner of the railhead. The results from the numerical analyses were compared with observations made at the sections.
