Axial Stress Research Articles

Modeling of the damage and fracture behaviors of a SiC triplex tube during the burst test with elastomeric insert

The Silicon Carbide (SiC) triplex cladding tube has been regarded as one of the leading structures for the next-generation light water reactors, because of its larger safety margins under beyond-design basis transient conditions. In this study, a numerical simulation method is developed to reproduce the damage and fracture behaviors of a nuclear-grade SiC triplex cladding tube during the burst test. Especially, a three-dimensional continuum damage mechanics based (CDM-based) constitutive model is developed and validated for the SiCf/SiC composites, with the predictions agreeing well with the experimental data under different loading conditions. By introducing cohesive surfaces in the monolithic layers of a SiC triplex tube, cracking of the monolithic layers and the subsequent local damage behaviors within the SiCf/SiC composite layer are captured. The local tensile strength of ∼402 MPa is identified for the monolithic layers, corresponding to the first load drop during the burst test. The simulation results indicate that cracking of the monolithic layers leads to sharp increases in the locally enhanced hoop stresses and damage factors for the SiCf/SiC composite layer, with slight influences on the field variables far away from the main crack; after the fast increase the evolution velocity of local damage factors slows down, reflecting the toughening effects of SiCf/SiC composite. An assessment strategy for the gas leak tightness and structural integrity of the SiC triplex cladding during the accident sceneries is proposed to predict failure of the SiCf/SiC composites with the critical damage factor, and it is necessary to simulate the damage and fracture behaviors in the multi-layer models with the cracking process of monolithic layers involved.

Prediction Method for Mechanical Characteristic Parameters of Weak Components of 110 kV Transmission Tower under Ice-Covered Condition Based on Finite Element Simulation and Machine Learning

Icing on transmission lines may cause damage to tower components and even lead to structural failure. Aiming at the lack of research on predicting mechanical characteristic parameters of weak components of transmission towers, and the cumbersome steps of building a finite element model (FEM), the study of prediction for mechanical characteristic parameters of weak components of towers based on a finite element simulation and machine learning is proposed. Firstly, a 110 kV transmission tower in a heavily iced area is taken as an example to establish its FEM. The locations of the weak components are analyzed, and the accuracy of FEM is verified. Secondly, meteorological and terrain parameters are considered as input parameters of the prediction model. The axial stresses and nodal displacements of four weak components are selected as output parameters. The FEM of the 110 kV transmission tower is used to obtain input and output datasets. Thirdly, five machine learning algorithms are considered to establish the prediction models for mechanical characteristic parameters of weak components, and the optimal prediction model is obtained. Finally, the accuracy of the prediction method is verified through an actual tower collapse case. The results show that ACO-BPNN is the optimal model that can accurately and quickly predict the mechanical characteristic parameters of the weak components of the transmission tower. This study can provide an early warning for the failure prediction of transmission towers in heavily iced areas, thus providing an important reference for their safe operation and maintenance.

Radiomic profiling of high-risk aneurysms with blebs: an exploratory study

BackgroundBlebs significantly increase rupture risk of intracranial aneurysms. Radiomic analysis offers a robust characterization of the aneurysm wall. However, the unique radiomic profile of various compartments, including blebs, remains unexplored....

Enhancing the fracture toughness of zirconia via highly oriented graphene arrays

Zirconia matrix composites with well-dispersed and highly-oriented two-dimensional graphene arrays were fabricated successfully using tape casting. This significantly improved the fracture toughness (KIC) of zirconia, i.e., an improvement of 64.1 % in KIC, from 4.3 MPa m0.5 to 7.21 MPa m0.5. The interface strengthened by Zr, O and C bonding between zirconia and graphene plays a crucial role in improving the toughness of zirconia. The catastrophic fracture failure mode is transformed into the stable crack propagation behavior with well-oriented graphene arrays. The interface stress transfer behavior analyzed by the shear-lag theory reveals that the graphene layers have little effect on the maximum axial stress and shear stress at graphene/zirconia interface, but the stress distribution are changed. Due to the weak bonding between inner graphene layer, the energy dissipation by graphene pulling-out decreases with increased graphene layers.

Hybrid finite element modeling of subsurface-originated spalling in flexible bearings with hoop stresses

The flexible bearing in a harmonic reducer undergoes structural deformation after being mounted on the cam, causing the bearing to operate under a complex stress state. A hybrid finite element model is developed to investigate crack initiation and propagation in flexible bearings with hoop stress under rolling contact fatigue loading. The model is coupled with continuum damage mechanics, and the damage evolution equation takes the maximum shear stress amplitude as the damage-causing stress since the hoop stress inevitably affects the fatigue life. The model is verified by comparison with the fatigue life of the inner ring without hoop stress. The crack initiation and spalling formation mechanisms in the inner ring assembled with the cam are analyzed in detail. Moreover, the effects of contact load and equivalent interference on the inner ring’s spalling morphology and fatigue life are studied.

A theoretical model for the load-transfer analyses of load distributive compression anchor integrating DSC-based interface nonlinear model

An innovative anchorage technology named load distributive compression anchor (LDCA) has recently been employed in a multitude of geotechnical engineering. The anchoring structure comprises multiple anchor bodies, thereby overcoming the bearing defects associated with conventional load-concentrated anchors and providing superior bearing performance. The complex structural configuration of LDCA considerably complicates the process of load-transfer theoretical modeling. A lack of relevant studies from theoretical solution perspective is yet evident in previous works. In this paper, a theoretical model was proposed for the load-transfer analyses of LDCA, of which the soil-anchor interface mechanical behavior was specially characterized by a disturbed state concept (DSC)-based nonlinear model. The mechanical simulation for the connections in different anchor bodies was incorporated into the theoretical analysis framework through the utilization of finite difference method. Three groups of 3D finite element (FE) models were established to simulate the load-transfer behaviors of LDCAs with different numbers of anchor bodies. The theoretical calculations agree well with the FE numerical results and the in-situ pullout test data, thereby confirming the applicability of the load-transfer theoretical model. The axial force and interface shear stress distributions, as well as the bearing capacity for LDCAs, were discussed based on theoretical calculations and FE simulations. Sensitivity analysis of several key design parameters was conducted to investigate their effects on the bearing capacity of LDCAs. The findings achieved in this study can provide insights into the understanding of the load-transfer behaviors of LDCA, and contribute to the bearing performance evaluation.

Stress and deformation response of pipe jacking in upper-soft and lower-hard strata: A case study in Changsha

Constructing underground structures using the pipe jacking technique presents challenges in upper-soft and lower-hard strata. The complicated strata conditions make pipes prone to deflection, leading to problems such as cracking, pipe joints failure and water leakage. To determine the stress and jacking force characteristics of pipe jacking during the entire construction period in upper-soft and lower-hard strata, this paper presents a case study of pipe jacking passing through upper-soft and lower-hard strata in Changsha, China. Pipes stresses at two wings, and the top crest in the longitudinal directions for six different pipe sections were monitored. Then, a jacking force model is proposed to describe the additional thrust after deflection in upper-soft and lower-hard strata. The results show that the jacking force induced by upper-soft and lower-hard strata exhibits a tortuous increase and causes pipe deflection. The stress and deflection patterns in different monitoring pipes are consistent. The maximum pipe stresses during the jacking were 9.26 MPa in the longitudinal direction and 394 % increasing after deflection. Axial stress in test pipes exhibit nonlinearly transfer, with the distribution of friction resistance forms a“W”shape between pipes. An excessive alignment deflection would generate incremental jacking force, which strengthens with larger deflection. By regarding the composite formation area as a fully contact model with the surrounding rock, and uniform formation as a contact with the bottom of the surrounding rock, and the formulas were corrected for deeply buried pipe under uniform formation. Combining the calculation results and field data, the predict model is validated. The calculation method that can effectively predict the jacking force after pipe alignment deflection in upper-soft and lower-hard strata. The results of this study can provide beneficial guidance for the design and construction of pipe jacking.

An experimental and numerical investigation on the flexural strengthening of full-scale corrosion-damaged RC columns using UHPC layers

When exposed to chloride-rich environments, reinforced concrete (RC) structures have serious concerns about rebar corrosion. In this study, a strengthening method was developed for RC columns with corrosion damage. Five full-scale RC columns with the same dimensions and rebar arrangements were experimented under reversed cyclic loading, where an axial stress equal to 1 MPa was applied to the specimens. Out of the five test specimens, two specimens underwent an average of 10 % rebar corrosion (Group 1), another two specimens underwent an average of 15 % rebar corrosion (Group 2), and one specimen acted as the sound specimen. One specimen from each group was retrofitted with 50 mm thick ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) layers. The experimental outcomes showed that reinforcement corrosion reduced ductility and maximum load-carrying capacity (MLC) significantly. The ductility and MLC of the specimen with 15 % rebar corrosion was decreased by 17 % and 9.2 %, respectively, compared to the sound specimen. However, the 15 % corroded specimen strengthened with UHPC layers displayed superior structural performance, for example, the MLC was increased by 24 % compared to the sound specimen. The performance of the strengthening scheme was evaluated using important performance indices, i.e., MLC, ductility, stiffness degradation, energy absorption, curvature distribution, etc. A simplified numerical model was developed and verified with experimental results. Experimental and numerical results revealed that the proposed approach can be very effective in strengthening corrosion-damaged RC columns.

Mechanical behaviour and macro-micro failure mechanisms of frozen weakly cemented sandstone under different stress paths

Significant unloading failure zones in artificial freezing shaft sinking projects in western China are primarily caused by stress release. To investigate the deformation and failure mechanisms of frozen weakly cemented sandstone (FWCS), three groups of triaxial unloading tests were conducted under different initial principal stresses (σ₃ = 3, 6, and 10 MPa) with an unloading rate of 0.05 MPa/s. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the micro-fracture characteristics of the failure surfaces. The results revealed that, compared to traditional triaxial and room-temperature triaxial compression tests, the strength and plastic deformation characteristics of FWCS are significantly weakened under unloading conditions. However, lateral deformation, particularly volumetric strain, increased markedly, exhibiting pronounced dilatancy characteristics, especially along stress path III (i.e., post-peak axial stress loading with confining pressure unloading). Unloading leads to a reduction in cohesion and an increase in the internal friction angle of FWCS, with the most significant changes observed along stress path IV (i.e., pre-peak constant axial displacement loading with confining pressure unloading). Macroscopic and microscopic analyses indicate that the failure mechanism of FWCS under complex unloading stress paths is driven by the rapid accumulation of energy caused by unloading, which results in the development and propagation of axial and circumferential cracks, widespread particle breakage, and the formation of inter-granular and trans-granular fractures, as well as shear scratches at the micro level, ultimately manifesting macroscopically as shear-tensile composite failure.

Seismic Performance Analysis of the Internal Joint in the New Demountable Fabricated Concrete Frame with Prestressed Mortise–Tenon Connections

This paper proposed a novel demountable fabricated joint in frame, which is connected by the prestressed and mortise–tenon connection. The prefabricated components of the demountable structures are designed to be reused, and the joint presented in this paper will promote the sustainable application of prefabricated components in future. The damage process and damage pattern of the internal joints under the horizontal load were analyzed using the refined numerical analysis model based on ABAQUS 6.14. Parametric analyses were conducted simultaneously for five parameters: axial compression ratio, the area and effective initial stress of unbonded prestressed strands (UPSs), the local reinforcement ratio in the core zone of the demountable joint, and the friction coefficient between the interface of concrete. The results showed that the demountable joint exhibits excellent energy dissipation potential under horizontal loads, but the damage was concentrated in the core zone. The deformation of the joint mainly consisted of the self-deformation of the prefabricated components, including bending, bearing and shear, as well as the relative slip deformation between the prefabricated components. The axial compression ratio has a more significant effect on the hysteresis performance compared to the areas of the UPSs and the reinforcement ratio. The initial effective stress of the UPS and the friction coefficient have relatively minor influence on the hysteretic performance of the joint. Finally, this paper recommends the design parameter values (axial compression ratio should not exceed 0.4, area of unbonded prestressed reinforcement should be not lower than Asn=0.02 and not higher than Asn=0.1, the initial stress of the UPS takes the value of 0.75fpu) and outlines optimization measures.

A strain-based J-integral formulation for an internal circumferential surface crack of pipeline under inner pressure and large axial deformation

The presence of cracks on pipelines poses a potential threat to their operational status, and it is critical to assess the permissibility of pipelines containing cracks. The dimensional analysis combined with the finite element method is applied to investigate the fracture behavior of circumferential crack on the internal surface of pipe under internal pressure and large axial deformation. Dimensionless parameters are determined to represent the effects of crack size, pipe geometry, pipe material, and external load on the crack front driving force, and a strain-based J-integral formulation is obtained by a stepwise coefficient fitting approach rather than a polynomial fitting method. This J-integral formula can be used to quickly assess the crack front driving force of a pipe in service condition and subjected to axial displacement. The diameter-to-thickness ratio of the pipe and the dimensionless pressure of the pipe are found to act together in a combined form on the crack front driving force. Increases in dimensionless crack depth, dimensionless crack length, the ratio of circumferential stress to yield strength of the pipe, and strain hardening exponent cause an increase in the crack front driving force. The effect of dimensionless crack depth on crack front driving force is more significant than other dimensionless parameters. Changes in the other dimensionless parameters do not significantly change the crack front driving force when the dimensionless crack depth is small. Other dimensionless parameters have a progressively greater influence on the crack front driving force as the crack dimensionless crack depth increases. Large deformations in the ligament zone and increasing axial stress are the main reasons for the high crack front driving force. The J-integral formula has a similar form to that of the J-integral in the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) method when the effect of internal pressure is not considered. It can be reduced to predict the crack front driving force of a surface cracked plate subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. For the interaction between an internal surface crack and an embedded crack, re-characterizing the crack size using BS 7910 will overestimate the equivalent crack depth, and a more accurate equivalent crack size can be obtained using the J-integral formula proposed.

Monitoring of thick-walled pressure elements to determine transient temperature and stress distributions using the measured fluid's pressure and wall's temperature

The paper presents a new stress monitoring method for cylindrical pressure elements of the power unit. It can be used to monitor a power unit's start-up, shutdown, and load change to reduce the unit's connection time to the power grid. The outer surface of the component is thermally insulated. Circumferential thermal stress at the point of its concentration at the hole edge is determined based on the stress determined at a greater distance from the hole. The circumferential thermal and pressure stresses at the hole edge are calculated by multiplying the stress values determined for the non-weakened wall by the respective concentration factors. In addition, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) at the inner surface of the pressure element is necessary to determine the thermal stress concentration factor. Heat transfer correlations available in the literature are used to calculate HTC. The transient element wall temperature is measured five to 12 mm from the inner surface of the cylindrical component. An analysis of the measurement point locations on the accuracy of temperature and stress determining at the inner component surface was investigated. A practical application of the proposed method using real measurement data is presented.

Influence of initial stresses and stress paths on the deformation and failure mechanism of sandy slate

Rocks exhibit various mechanical properties under different stress conditions, with changes during unloading having significant implications for geological engineering safety. This study carried out triaxial loading and unloading mechanical tests on sandy slate to investigate its mechanical properties, deformation characteristics, and failure mechanisms at different initial stress levels and stress paths. The results showed that during the unloading process, the deformation modulus (E) of the sandy slate decreased, and the Poisson's ratio (μ) gradually increased. This indicates that significant volume expansion of the rock is the dominant factor in its deformation and failure. The exponential function can be used to describe the evolution of E and μ with confining pressure during unloading. The damage stress of the rock under unloading conditions was lower than that under loading conditions, suggesting that unloading led to an earlier onset of volumetric expansion in the sandy slate. Under conditions where the initial axial stress level approached the damage stress, the mechanical properties were most significantly affected by unloading. Compared to loading conditions, when the initial axial stress level was at 70% of the peak strength, the cohesion (c) decreased by 15.77 to 29.37%, while the internal friction angle (φ) increased by 1.88 to 5.14%. The rock's failure process can be divided into four stages based on the development of microcracks. Unloading during the stages of microcrack initiation and propagation can lead to tensile cracks of varying degrees, resulting in different mechanical properties and failure characteristics under loading and unloading conditions.

Medial meniscal posterior root tear – A current concept review

Menisci are crucial structures in the knee joint for the adequate distribution of hoop stresses. Their significance in preventing early knee osteoarthritis has been acknowledged due to the rapid progression of osteoarthritis in knees following meniscectomy. The anatomy of menisci has been studied in detail with an increased understanding of the importance of meniscal root attachments. This review aims to provide an evaluated summary of the anatomical, biochemical, and functional aspects that are relevant in the clinical context of meniscus root attachments, alongside contemporary strategies for accurately diagnosing and treating common injuries affecting these attachments. We also propose an algorithm for managing medial meniscus root tears which may be beneficial for the readers. We did an up-to-date literature search on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar database, using the keywords ‘meniscus’, ‘meniscal root’, ‘sports injury’, and ‘arthroscopy’ in April 2024 and filtered out the relevant literature for this review on the articles that were published in English. The management of root tears requires a high level of suspicion which is crucial for diagnosis, identifying subtle signs on radiology, and employing specific methods for root repair. The tears or avulsions within one centimeter of the tibial attachment of the medial meniscus posterior root are called medial meniscus posterior root tears. These injuries cause a functional meniscal deficiency, resulting in knee problems unfavorable to biomechanics. Numerous methods have been created to tackle meniscus root tears., with many demonstrating promising outcomes in terms of complete healing.

Dual-Wave ZnO Film Ultrasonic Transducers for Temperature and Stress Measurements.

ZnO film ultrasonic transducers for temperature and stress measurements with dual-mode wave excitation (longitudinal and shear) were deposited using the reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique on Si and stainless steel substrates and construction steel bolts. It was found that the position in the substrate plane had a significant effect on the structure and ultrasonic performance of the transducers. The transducers deposited at the center of the deposition zone demonstrated a straight columnar structure with a c-axis parallel to the substrate normal and the generation of longitudinal waves. The transducers deposited at the edge of the deposition zone demonstrated inclined columnar structures and the generation of dominant shear or longitudinal shear waves. Transducers deposited on the bolts with dual-wave excitation were used to study the effects of high temperatures in the range from 25 to 525 °C and tensile stress in the range from 0 to 268 MPa on ultrasonic response. Dependencies between changes in the relative time of flight and temperature or axial stress were obtained. The dependencies can be described by second-order functions of temperature and stress. An analysis of the contributions of thermal expansion, strain, and the speed of sound to changes in the time of flight was performed. At high temperatures, a decrease in the signal amplitude was observed due to the decreasing resistivity of the transducer. The ZnO ultrasonic transducers can be used up to temperatures of ~500 °C.

Stress state of billet – mandrel system during production of hollow steel billet in a unit of continuous casting and deformation. Part 2

The paper presents the results of theoretical research of stress-strain state of a billet – mandrel system when producing steel hollow billets in a unit of combined continuous casting and deformation, in which the working surface of the calibrated anvils are made with a variable radius. The necessity of making the working surface of the calibrated anvils with a variable radius is substantiated and initial data for the calculations is given. The calculation results are considered along the lines of the volumetric model passing through the characteristic points of deformation centers. The authors determined the forces when the anvils compress the wall of a hollow billet and the force of pulling the hollow billet from the mold. The laws of metal axial displacements and stresses in the deformation centers during compressing the wall of a hollow billet was established at the combined process of continuous casting and deformation in the unit. Nature of the stressed state of the metal wall of a hollow billet is considered from the perspective of improving its quality. The technique studied allows to determine the stress-strain state of a mandrel when producing a hollow steel billet using such a unit. The authors provided the recommendations for reliable gripping and compression with calibrated anvils of a hollow steel billet coming from a water-cooled copper mold of the unit of combined continuous casting and deformation.

Experimental and numerical study on dynamics of viscoelastic liquid cone in flow focusing

The effects of viscoelasticity on the stability and morphology of the liquid cone in liquid–liquid flow focusing are investigated experimentally and numerically. The particle tracers are utilized in experiments to visualize the flow fields, and the Oldroyd-B model is applied in numerical simulations to describe the viscoelastic characteristics of the liquid cone. Based on the quantitative analyses on the elastic stresses and forces inside the cone, the influence of viscoelasticity on the startup process of the liquid cone is first investigated. The stretching and shrinking stages of the viscoelastic cone are identified, and the startup process of the Newtonian cone is also studied for comparison. By considering the force balance at local jet position, a scaling analysis is proposed to give the criterion for the establishment of the stable cone, which indicates that the axial elastic stress can promote the cone stability. Upon a stable liquid cone, the influences of viscoelasticity on the interface profile and flow field of the cone are further analyzed, indicating that an increase in viscoelasticity leads to more shrinkage of the cone interface. The shrinkage of cone leads to the acceleration of focused liquid and thus the decrease in the recirculation flow size. This fundamental work provides scientific guidance for understanding the influences of viscoelasticity in flow focusing process, contributing to the industrial applications of microdroplets production.

Optimization of functionally graded materials to make stress concentration vanish in a plate with circular hole

This paper is devoted to the minimization of the stress concentration factor in infinite plates with circular hole made of functionally graded materials and subjected to a far-field uniform uniaxial tension. Despite the vast literature on the versatility of these materials, the novelty of the results is that the material distribution is not limited to prefixed laws, as in many works available in the literature. Instead, it is assumed to be an unknown piecewise constant function, thus aiming to derive the material distribution by exploiting, at best, the inhomogeneity concept associated with functionally graded materials. After a brief review of the governing equations, the motivation, the statement and the mathematical formulation of the optimization problem are given under the hypothesis of axisymmetric material distribution. Still, the problem could not be solved analytically, therefore a direct transcription approach by the aid of finite difference method has been followed to convert it into a nonlinear programming problem, whose solution has been obtained numerically by dedicated gradient-based solvers. Numerical optimal solutions are reported in graphical forms, thoroughly discussed and validated by means of the finite element method. The developed numerical approach yields a material inhomogeneity obeying a sigmoid-like function and a uniform hoop stress along the radial direction, thus making the stress concentration factor at the rim of the circular hole vanish.

Overcoming the brittleness of sustainable compression-cast recycled aggregate concrete through steel spiral confinement

The loose and porous adhered mortar of recycled aggregates produces concrete with low strength and poor durability. The newly developed compression casting technology applies pressure to fresh concrete to squeeze out excess water and air in the recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) and force the cement paste into the old adhered mortar to strengthen it, thereby effectively solving the aforementioned problems. However, the significant increase in the compactness and compressive strength of the RAC is accompanied by a pronounced increase in compression brittleness. Hence, this study attempts to overcome the brittleness of sustainable compression-cast RAC through proper design of transverse reinforcement. To achieve this objective, the axial compression behaviour of steel spiral-confined RAC specimens was experimentally investigated. It is found that the compression casting approach almost doubled the compressive strength of the unconfined RAC and improved the ultimate axial stress of the steel spiral-confined RAC by up to 69.9 %. The steel spiral-confined normal-cast RAC exhibited typical compression failure accompanied by a stress–strain curve characterised by strain hardening, whereas the steel spiral-confined compression-cast RAC exhibited localised shear failure accompanied by a stress–strain curve characterised by strain softening. The strain-softening behaviour of steel spiral-confined compression-cast RAC can be significantly improved by reducing the spiral pitch. Based on the test results obtained in this study and in the literature, stress–strain models were proposed separately for the steel spiral-confined compression-cast RAC and normal-cast RAC. The stress–strain models exhibited a significantly higher prediction accuracy than the selected models in the literature.

Prediction of fatigue life of a bolted joint in railway steel arch bridge using multiaxial fatigue criteria

Fatigue represents a critical condition for infrastructure subjected to repeated cyclic loads, such as steel railway bridges. The literature offers several methods to estimate fatigue life, consisting of three main phases: cycle counting, fatigue damage criterion, and damage accumulation criterion. Applying S-N curves might not be conservative in the case of railway bridges subjected to traffic because the stress-time history is complex and cannot be reduced to a sinusoidal history. Additionally, the presence of a multiaxial stress state must be considered. Therefore, this work compares eight multiaxial fatigue damage criteria for evaluating fatigue life in a scenario between high and low-cycle fatigue. Specifically, the authors considered four low-cycle fatigue criteria, namely Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT), Kandil, Brown and Miller (KBM), Glinka, Fatemi and Socie (FS), and four high-cycle fatigue criteria, Crossland, Basquin and the methods recommended by Eurocode 3 and British Standard. The rainflow counting method in ASTM E1049-85 (2011) and Miner’s rule for damage accumulation were used. The Polcevera railway steel bridge was selected as a case study. A 3D numerical model was developed for this purpose using Midas Civil software, taking into account the material non-linearity of the bridge’s elements. Once the area with the highest stress concentration was identified, a detailed analysis was conducted to estimate the stress and strain time histories induced by train traffic. A sensitivity analysis was conducted after critically comparing the eight methods for predicting fatigue life to assess the impact of traffic parameters, train velocity, axle load, and convoy length on fatigue life. It has been found that the criteria considering axial stress tend to overestimate the number of fatigue cycles to failure compared to the criteria, including the effect of shear stress components.