Abstract
A Poisson’s ratio of 0.3 has usually been used for all grades of steel to estimate shakedown limits; however, high-strength steel, heat-treated pearlitic steel, work-hardened (strain-hardened) steel, and the newly developed bainitic steel show better response to deformation than standard carbon steel. The characteristics of these steels are to be considered. Elastic and plastic shakedown limits are expressed in terms of tensile and yield strength using the von Mises yield criterion and Hertz contact theory. Hence, shakedown limits can be computed and a diagram created for each steel. Different steels may thus be compared to facilitate selection of the appropriate steel grade. In this study, elastic and plastic shakedown limits were computed for three grades of American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) steel. The shakedown process was analyzed quantitatively for AREMA steels. Shakedown limits were related by the coefficient of friction, for which a desirable range was determined. The desirable minimum contact area from the wheel load and the tensile strength of the rail was formulated so the wheel-rail profile could be optimized. Finally, AREMA high-strength steel and DOBAIN steel were compared.
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