RESIDUAL STRESSES IN RAILS

The article examines the effect of residual stresses on rail breaks along the length of the web and on stability during rupture tests on core hardened rail: the aim of decreasing residual stresses in core hardened rails and the formation of residual stresses in the rail head can be achieved by making further improvements to the cold hardening process; residual stresses do not have any substantial effect on stability during rupture tests on rails when the break begins because of a drop hammer failure and, before the break occurs, the rail changes considerably; this is precisely what happens in tests on core hardened rails when the temperature changes from -60 degrees to +20 degrees C.