Bending of the three-span rail (UIC 60) subjected to the concentrated force

The subject of the paper is the three-span rail (UIC 60) simply supported on four sleepers. The middle span is subject to the concentrated force at half of its length. Analytical study of the bending problem of the three parts of this rail is realized with consideration of the Timoshenko beam theory. Moreover, the bending problem is studied numerically using the finite element method (FEM). Based on the obtained analytical results it is seen that structures like rails should be analysed with shear effect taking into account. The result obtained this way is consistent with the results of numerical investigation. Ignoring the shear effect results in a significant underestimation of the deflection.