Crack extension and life prediction of fastening spring clip in heavy-haul railways

WANG Yu-xuan; WANG Zhi-feng; NIE Shao-feng; WANG Ya-qiong

doi:10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2025.01.016

Volume 25 Issue 1

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WANG Yu-xuan, WANG Zhi-feng, NIE Shao-feng, WANG Ya-qiong. Crack extension and life prediction of fastening spring clip in heavy-haul railways[J]. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 2025, 25(1): 221-233. doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2025.01.016

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WANG Yu-xuan, WANG Zhi-feng, NIE Shao-feng, WANG Ya-qiong. Crack extension and life prediction of fastening spring clip in heavy-haul railways[J]. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 2025, 25(1): 221-233. doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2025.01.016

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Crack extension and life prediction of fastening spring clip in heavy-haul railways

doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2025.01.016

1.
School of Highway, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710064, Shaanxi, China
2.
School of Civil Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, China

Funds:

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2021YFF0501101

National Natural Science Foundation of China 52478384

Innovation Capability Support Project of Shaanxi 2023-CX-TD-35

Scientist+Engineer Team Construction Program of Shaanxi Qinchuangyuan 2023KXJ-159

More Information

Corresponding author: WANG Zhi-feng(1986-), male, professor, PhD, zhifeng.wang@chd.edu.cn
Received Date: 2023-08-20
Publish Date: 2025-02-25

Abstract

Abstract

The coupled vehicle-track-foundation dynamic analysis model and the fastening system analysis model were established to study the fatigue life of the spring clip in the fastening systems of ballasted tracks in heavy-haul railways. The time curves of the rail bottom displacement at the fastenings under different axle loads were calculated. The curves were applied as displacement loads in the fastening system model under normal installation conditions to analyze the mechanical behavior of the spring clip under service conditions. Based on the strain-life curve, cumulative damage theory, and crack extension theory, the stress of the spring clip during crack extension and the influence of axle load on the fatigue life of the spring clip were analyzed. Research results show that the spring clip reaches the normal installation state under 25 kN bolt preload. The vertical displacement of the middle limb of the spring clip is 10.2 mm, the clamping force is 10.1 kN, and the maximum stress is located at the rear curved limb of the spring clip. The increase in axle load affects the fatigue crack initiation life by changing the stress ratio of the spring clip. With the increase in axle load, the influence of the material properties of the spring clip on the initiation life decreases in proportion. The fatigue crack initiation life decreases progressively as the axle load increases from 27 t to 40 t. When the axle load is 40 t, the fatigue crack initiation life is about 1.28 million times, approximately 63% and 95% less than that at axle loads of 35 t and 30 t, respectively. Meanwhile, the rate of decrease of the fatigue crack initiation life is slowing down. The direction of the crack is twisted as it expands inside the spring clip. The stress at the front of the crack decays radially in the surrounding direction, while the stress direction is tensile towards the sides. The extension rate of spring clip cracks is slow at the beginning of cracking and keeps accelerating with increasing depth. The fatigue crack extension life and cumulative total passing weight of the spring clip decrease with increasing axle load, while the crack extension life is less than the crack initiation life.
- railway engineering,
- fastening spring clip,
- fatigue damage,
- fatigue life,
- crack extension,
- crack tip characteristic

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References(43)

References

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Crack extension and life prediction of fastening spring clip in heavy-haul railways

doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2025.01.016

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Crack extension and life prediction of fastening spring clip in heavy-haul railways

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