Mechanical behavior of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact in high-speed railways based on an impact fatigue constitutive model

ZHOU Chenwen; ZHOU Xiongfei; JING Lin

doi:10.11883/bzycj-2026-0054

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ZHOU Chenwen, ZHOU Xiongfei, JING Lin. Mechanical behavior of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact in high-speed railways based on an impact fatigue constitutive model[J]. Explosion And Shock Waves. doi: 10.11883/bzycj-2026-0054

Citation:

ZHOU Chenwen, ZHOU Xiongfei, JING Lin. Mechanical behavior of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact in high-speed railways based on an impact fatigue constitutive model[J]. Explosion And Shock Waves. doi: 10.11883/bzycj-2026-0054

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Mechanical behavior of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact in high-speed railways based on an impact fatigue constitutive model

doi: 10.11883/bzycj-2026-0054

State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, China

Received Date: 2026-02-10
Rev Recd Date: 2026-04-24

Available Online: 2026-04-20

Abstract

Abstract

Impact fatigue refers to the phenomenon in which materials or structures, subjected to repeated impact loading, experience localized stress concentrations and rapid strain accumulation, leading to the initiation of internal micro-damage and ultimately the fracture failure. Impact fatigue loads are characterized by their short duration, rapid loading rates and significantly elevated strain-rates, which has greater threat than conventional fatigue. The wheel-rail dynamic contact forces of high-speed trains exhibit typical characteristics of impact fatigue loading, which induces the accumulation of impact fatigue damage, accelerates the deterioration of material’s mechanical properties; and consequently, compromises the operational safety of high-speed trains. The present study integrates a material-based impact fatigue damage-coupled constitutive model to develop a comprehensive three-dimensional wheel-rail rolling contact finite element model. The stress-strain states and adhesion-slip characteristics of wheel-rail rolling/sliding contact are clarified, and the distribution features and accumulation evolution of wheel-rail impact fatigue damage are analyzed. Meanwhile, the effects of train speed, friction coefficient, and traction coefficient on impact fatigue damage are studied, and the influence of material constitutive model on typical wheel-rail contact mechanical behavior is examined. The results clearly indicate that the proposed impact fatigue model is able to well represent the wheel-rail contact responses, adhesion-slip distribution characteristics and damage accumulation. Under repeated rolling contact, the impact fatigue damage of the rail exhibits a nonlinear cumulative increasing trend with the increase of rolling cycles; however, the growth rate gradually decreases and eventually tends to stabilize approximately. Compared with the elastoplastic constitutive model, the wheel-rail contact mechanical responses predicted by the impact fatigue constitutive model are more severe and dangerous. Moreover, the coupling effect of impact fatigue damage gradually intensifies with the increase of wheel passages. These findings provide valuable theoretical insights and technical support for fatigue damage assessment and life prediction of high-speed wheel-rail systems.
- impact fatigue,
- rolling contact,
- plastic deformation,
- finite element analysis,
- high-speed wheel-rail

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References(28)

References

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