With the beginning of high speed traffic in Germany the stresses in the wheel-rail interface raised significantly. Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) defects became more prominent and a very important factor of costs. A theoretical evaluation led to the assumption that HSH (head special hardened)-rails show a better performance concerning the damage of the rail surface by rolling contact fatigue in high speed tracks compared to the standard grade 900A (260) or 800 grade-rails. To investigate, quantify and verify the influence of HSH-rails on the rail damage, voestalpine Schienen GmbH and German Railway (DB AG) set a track test program of HSH-rails in a joint project. After eddy current testing and transversal profile measurements, HSH rails showed the lowest wear rate (30 to 45 % less than 900A-grades). After a service life of 3 years corresponding to a total load of 90 MGT's, the depth of rail damage by head checks of the HSH-rails on the medium-speed line Munich-Augsburg (near Mering) was only a third compared to the grade 900A. The rails of the grade 800 show the deepest and most severe head checks, although they have the highest wear rate. The grinding of the three rail-grades in Mering demonstrated that the maintenance effort to remove the damaged rail material is much less for HSH-rails. Additionally longer grinding intervals save maintenance costs. Wear, corrugation and rail damage by RCF-defects are decreased significantly by the use of HSH-rails. The service life of the rails can be increased by applying an optimized maintenance strategy (up to 40 % compared to 900A-grades).
Testing of HSH-rails in high speed tracks to minimise rail damage
Prüfung von HSH-Schienen für Hochgeschwindigkeitsgleise zur Verringerung von Schienenschäden
2003
8 Seiten, 24 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 4 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Testing of HSH-rails in high speed tracks to minimize rail damage
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