Three-dimensional finite element elastic-plastic model for wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue prediction

In this paper a 3D wheel-rail contact finite element model has been used to investigate the stress states and material response under different contact situations which included high and low adhesion. The effect of plasticity in the vicinity of contact between wheel and rail were also examined. Thus, it was possible to measure how geometrical contact parameters affect the contact stress/strain and pressure level on the rail tread. Furthermore, the FE model was demonstrated as a phenomenological tool which has been efficient for qualitative analyses of rolling contact fatigue life. Finally, it represents a base that can be enriched by implementing a multiscale material model capable of predicting microstructural changes associated with strain-induced gradients directly beneath the contact zone.