Numerical assessment of materials used in railway crossings by predicting damage initiation – Validation and application

The Dang Van damage criterion is utilized to predict (subsurface) damage initiation in railway track crossing components. A simplified, explicit finite element model is used to calculate the cyclic impact of a wheel on a crossing nose (frog point). The model is applied to an elastic and to three elastic-plastic materials (manganese steel, chromium-bainitic steel and tool steel). These three materials deform differently, and that difference affects the loading on the crossing after a period of time in use. Plastic deformation is calculated and validated with measurements. The damage parameter (Pdv) is then calculated to compare the damage initiation tendency of the three materials with their plastically deformed shapes. The positive effect of changing the geometry of higher strength steel crossings is also discussed.