Rolling Contact Fatigue and Wear of Rails and Wheels: A Comprehensive Review

Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) and wear are the primary types of damage found in rails and wheels, and these often compete with each other. This paper presents a comprehensive review of studies on RCF and wear of rails and wheels, focusing on their competition. First, RCF and wear in actual rails and wheels are discussed. Next, theory and models for RCF cracks are presented—from crack initiation, through short and long crack growth, to crack branching and branch crack growth. Then, different wear forms, wear regimes, and their theories and models are introduced. Several studies analyzing the competition between RCF and wear are discussed. Finally, current gaps or problems of the studies on RCF and wear of rails and wheels are identified, and recommendations for future work are provided. This review aims to assist researchers who investigate and address the problems associated with RCF and wear of rails and wheels.