Effect of the rail surface topography on wear and fatigue

This study is an investigation of the impact of grinding-generated surface roughness on the wear and fatigue life of rails. The grinding process, essential for rail maintenance, creates a rough surface that significantly influences wheel/rail contact conditions. Using a combined experimental and numerical approach, this work replicates and integrates grinding-generated roughness into an elastoplastic rolling contact model. To evaluate the effects of surface roughness on rail degradation, Archard’s wear equation is applied for wear assessment, while fatigue is analysed using the Jiang-Sehitoglu fatigue parameter. The results show that rough surfaces induce localised high stresses and plastic strains, accelerating material degradation, particularly in early rolling cycles. In contrast, smoother surfaces exhibit more stable plastic strain evolution over fewer cycles. Additionally, the grinding-generated roughness significantly increases the damage accumulation, highlighting its role in reducing rail life. These findings emphasise the need to incorporate surface roughness into predictive maintenance models and optimise grinding practices to ensure rail longevity and operational reliability. • Experimental and numerical study on rail surface grinding-generated roughness: A novel approach integrating rail surface topography into an elastoplastic rolling contact model. • Temporal evolution of rail surface grinding-generated roughness: Replication campaigns highlight roughness evolution due to wear and plastic deformation. • Influence of rail surface grinding-generated roughness on wear and fatigue: Roughness affects stress concentrations, accelerating material degradation over rolling cycles. • Impact on rail longevity and predictive maintenance: Findings emphasize the importance of rail surface grinding-generated roughness consideration and the grinding process optimisation in rail maintenance strategies.