On the issue of ensuring a safe service life of high-risk objects of railway equipment in natural climatic conditions of Siberian, Northern and Arctic regions

Abstract

More than half of the territory of Russia, according to climatic maps, is referred to arctic and subarctic belts and areas of a sharply continental climate with the decrease in winter temperatures up to -60 °С and lower. Such conditions worsen physical and mechanical properties of metals and soil and lead to a decrease in main performance indicators. For example, at an ambient temperature below -30 °C, the impact strength, cold and crack propagation resistance of steel noticeably decrease, which leads to a loss of plasticity. Because of this, during the operation in winter period, failures of structural elements of railway rolling stock and infrastructure increase. Therefore, the task of ensuring the safe service life of high-risk objects of railway transport in north conditions should be based on the establishment of an actual state of metal, mechanisms of damage accumulation, initiation and development of cracks from defects. The article provided is devoted to developing new trends and creating a scientific base to study interrelated processes of deformation, damage and failure; to analyze and develop methods for calculating and depleting the service life of technical equipment of railway transport in order to confirm their safe operation; to develop standards and methods for assessing technology-related risks and their countering in railway transport.