Evaluation of the relationship between railway pavement stiffness and the occurrence of rail head fractures
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58922/transportes.v33.e3093Keywords:
Railways. Rails. Pavement. Fracture mechanics.Abstract
Understanding how rail fractures occur, considering the interaction and influence of the permanent way elements, is essential to mitigate railway incidents and their impacts. This study evaluates the relationship between the structural condition of the railway pavement and the propagation of cracks that appear inside the head rail section until the occurrence of fracture. The Estrada de Ferro Carajás – EFC was adopted as a case study, estimating the time until the fracture, considering the initial condition of the rail defect and the stiffness of the railway pavement. The results indicate that in the EFC sections with less stiffness, the fracture tends to occur significantly earlier than in those with greater stiffness. On the other hand, the larger the defect, the faster the crack evolution, especially in stiffer pavement of EFC. The methodology was applied and validated in a real EFC case. Based on the results, the need to review normative and operational procedures is highlighted, incorporating the structural condition of the railway pavement in the planning of inspections and interventions, as a strategy to prevent critical failures on tracks and improve the operational safety of railways.
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