Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How welded joints affect heavy-haul railway rail wear and damage
By Liu C & Wang Z.·2026·School of Traffic and Transportation, China·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Transient Contact Elastic-Plastic Characteristics Analysis of Rail Welded Joints in Heavy-Haul Railways.
Plain-English summary
This study looks at how the wheels of heavy trains interact with welded joints in the tracks. Researchers used a detailed computer model to understand how these joints behave under different conditions, particularly focusing on how they wear down over time. They found that the welded areas are more likely to wear out quickly compared to the surrounding material, and that the way the train moves can affect how much damage occurs. By making certain adjustments, like using stronger materials or changing how fast the train goes, the wear on these joints can be reduced. Overall, the findings help improve how these welded joints are maintained and managed in heavy train operations.
Abstract
This study investigates the transient wheel-rail contact mechanics of welded joints in heavy-haul rails via a validated 3D finite element model, and analyzes the stick-slip behavior, dynamic response and elastoplastic characteristics in the base material zone, heat-affected zone and weld bead zone. Results show a distinct contact state transition from stick-slip in the base material to predominant slip within the welded zones, indicating higher wear susceptibility. Dynamic response analysis reveals the highest and lowest contact-point acceleration amplitudes in the base material and heat-affected zone, respectively, due to material heterogeneity. Plastic deformation consistently initiates at the rail surface, where stress and strain concentrate, establishing it as the primary site for damage nucleation. A systematic parametric study shows that plastic deformation can be effectively mitigated by increasing the yield strength and elastic modulus of the welded joint material, or reducing the wheelset velocity, unsprung mass and wheel-rail friction coefficient. In contrast, adjusting the primary suspension and fastener parameters exerts a negligible influence on plastic deformation control. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for optimizing the performance and maintenance of welded joints in heavy-haul rail operations. This study reveals the coupling law of multiple mechanisms among contact behavior, dynamic response and material failure during the damage initiation process of rail welded joints from the mechanistic perspective, which provides a theoretical basis for the structural optimization, condition assessment and maintenance of rail welded joints in heavy-haul railways.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41900741