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J. Sainz-Aja, P. San Roman, J.A. Casado, I. Carrascal, D. Ferreño, R. Moreno, D. Peribañez, H. Vega, S. Diego, "Fatigue Performance of Drilled Railway Rails: Integrated Experimental Testing and Finite Element Analysis", in J. Pombo, (Editor), "Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance ", Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, Online volume: CCC 15, Paper 22.3, 2026, doi:10.4203/ccc.15.22.3

Keywords: fatigue, lubrication holes, S-N curve, finite element modeling (FEM), fatigue rail, structural integrity.

Abstract

This work presents a comprehensive assessment of the fatigue response of railway rails incorporating lubrication holes, combining experimental testing with advanced numerical modelling. Laboratory fatigue tests were performed on rail specimens subjected to three-point bending to reproduce critical stress conditions. A finite element strategy was developed using ANSYS, consisting of two complementary models. The first model replicates the experimental setup and was calibrated against the obtained fatigue data to accurately capture the material and structural response. Building on this validation, a second model representing a rail track segment with multiple supports was implemented to analyse more realistic service conditions. The numerical simulations were employed to investigate the effect of key parameters, including wheel load position, hole diameter, and hole location, on stress distribution and fatigue initiation. The results reveal a strong dependence of fatigue performance on geometric configuration and loading conditions, particularly in the vicinity of the drilled hole. Overall, the study provides useful insights into the structural implications of introducing lubrication holes in rails and supports the development of improved design and maintenance strategies aimed at enhancing fatigue life in railway infrastructure.

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Front Page Browse CCC CCP CSETS CTR IJRT Other Authors Search Purchase Guide FAQ Contact us	Civil-Comp Conferences ISSN 2753-3239 CCC: 15 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE Edited by: J. Pombo Paper 22.3 Fatigue Performance of Drilled Railway Rails: Integrated Experimental Testing and Finite Element Analysis J. Sainz-Aja¹, P. San Roman¹, J.A. Casado¹, I. Carrascal¹, D. Ferreño¹, R. Moreno², D. Peribañez², H. Vega² and S. Diego¹ ¹, University of Cantabria, Spain ², Metro Madrid, Spain doi:10.4203/ccc.15.22.3 Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper J. Sainz-Aja, P. San Roman, J.A. Casado, I. Carrascal, D. Ferreño, R. Moreno, D. Peribañez, H. Vega, S. Diego, "Fatigue Performance of Drilled Railway Rails: Integrated Experimental Testing and Finite Element Analysis", in J. Pombo, (Editor), "Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance ", Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, Online volume: CCC 15, Paper 22.3, 2026, doi:10.4203/ccc.15.22.3 Keywords: fatigue, lubrication holes, S-N curve, finite element modeling (FEM), fatigue rail, structural integrity. Abstract This work presents a comprehensive assessment of the fatigue response of railway rails incorporating lubrication holes, combining experimental testing with advanced numerical modelling. Laboratory fatigue tests were performed on rail specimens subjected to three-point bending to reproduce critical stress conditions. A finite element strategy was developed using ANSYS, consisting of two complementary models. The first model replicates the experimental setup and was calibrated against the obtained fatigue data to accurately capture the material and structural response. Building on this validation, a second model representing a rail track segment with multiple supports was implemented to analyse more realistic service conditions. The numerical simulations were employed to investigate the effect of key parameters, including wheel load position, hole diameter, and hole location, on stress distribution and fatigue initiation. The results reveal a strong dependence of fatigue performance on geometric configuration and loading conditions, particularly in the vicinity of the drilled hole. Overall, the study provides useful insights into the structural implications of introducing lubrication holes in rails and supports the development of improved design and maintenance strategies aimed at enhancing fatigue life in railway infrastructure. download the full-text of this paper (PDF, 11 pages, 740 Kb) go to the previous paper go to the next paper return to the table of contents return to the volume description
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