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Analysis of Damaged Rail Weld PDF
Analysis of Damaged Rail Weld PDF
1. Introduction
In recent years, the number of damaged rail welds
tends to have decreased every year because the reliability of rail welds has increased by the improvement of
welding procedure, inspection technique and the application of suitable criteria for soundness evaluation of
welds. However, discontinuities that cause rail failure
accidents can not be excluded even now. Therefore, we
have to review the present situation of damaged rail
welds.
This report describes the analysis results of the forms
and causes of damaged rail welds from 1985 to 2001.
Number of damage
20
FBW
GPW
EAW
TW
15
10
0
'85
'90
'95
'00
Year
Fig. 1 T
ransition of the number of damaged rail welds
Transition
Number
53
35
21
12
121
100
90
103
80
EAW
70
FBW
60
50
GPW
40
30
20
TW
10
0
'90
'95
'00
Year
Fig. 2 T
ransition of frequency of rail welding
Transition
aged rail welds in thermite welds (TW) has especially increased since 1990. This can be understood through the
frequency of rail welding.
Figure 2 shows the transition of the frequency of rail
welding in JR group since 1987. The frequency of thermite welding increased every year between 1987 and
1997. Then the frequency of thermite welding in each
welding method has been higher than that of gas pressure welding since 1994. Thermite welds seem to have
increased because the thermite welding method was applied to fabrication of continuous welded rails on site,
59
instead of standard length rails with fishplates in conventional lines of JR. It is also recognized that the thermite welding method has a good workability and mobility in recent years. In these few years, the frequency of
rail welding tends to have decreased, because laying continuous welded rails in main lines has almost been accomplished. However, the frequencies of flash butt and
enclosed arc welding have been almost the same in these
ten years. On the other hand, the frequency of gas pressure welding has decreased every year because of the
decrease of factory welding and application of thermite
welding as a track-side welding.
As shown in Fig. 2, the frequency of rail welding has
decreased since 1997. However, it is thought that the
frequency of rail welding will not rapidly decline, because there will constantly be rail renewals and repairs
in the future.
2.2 Form of damage
Figure 3 shows the forms of damaged rail welds. The
forms of damaged rail welds are mainly classified into
two, transverse and horizontal fissures. The transverse
fissure is classified into three, that of rail head, web and
base, depending on the fracture initiation point. The
horizontal fissure occurs only in the rail web. It is clear
in Fig. 3 that transverse fissure accounts for approximately 90%, and about half the damaged rail welds is
due to the transverse fissure initiated in the rail base.
Figure 4 shows the damaged form in each welding
Horizontal Transverse
fissure at
fissure
head
11%
18%
Transverse
fissure at
base
55%
10 MGT
10 MGT 50 MGT
50 MGT100 MGT
100 MGT200 MGT
200 MGT
Unknow
Number of damage
25
Transverse
fissure at
web
16%
20
15
10
5
0
TW
EAW
GPW
FBW
25
50
Horizonta fissure
40
30
20
Number of damage
Number of damage
20
15
10
5
10
0
1
0
TW
EAW
GPW
FBW
6
7
Month
10
11
12
Horizontal fissure
8%
'85
'90
20
Lack of fusion
Center-line
shrinkage
Porosity
Horizontal fissure
Solder cracking
Centreline shrinkage
Lack of fusion
Pit Blow
Solder
crack
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
'95
'00
Welding year
Fig. 8 T
ransition of number of damaged thermite welds
Transition
Stress
concentration
Porosity
Transverse
fissure at base
73%
Fig. 7 Forms and causes of damaged thermite welds
Number of damage
Transverse
fissure at web
19%
Number of damage
Blow
Polisity
Steress concenration
Pit
Solder crack
Centerline shrinkage
Lack of fusion
15
10
5
0
<1 month
<2 years
<5 years
>5years
Transverse
fissure at web
9%
Liquation
crack
Lack of
fusion
Solidificasion
crack
Transverse
fissure at head
51%
Fig. 10 Forms and causes of damaged enclosed arc welds
: Liquation crack
: Lack of fusion
: Solidification crack
(a) 50kgN
(b) 60kg
Fig. 1
1 Existing position of discontinuities as initiation
11
points of damage
62
Liquation crack
10
Lack of fusion
15
20
25
30
35
Transverse
fissure at base
40%
10
20
50
100
Defect sizediameter mm
Inclusion
Residual stress
blow
Over heat
Trimming
crack
Residual stress
corrosion
Horizontal
fissure
Non joint
14%
Fig. 13
Repair
Transverse
fissure at base
57%
Number of damage
Transverse
fissure at head
5%
Transverse
fissure at web
24%
FBW
GPW
EAW
TW
10
0
'85
'90
'95
'00
Welding year
Fig. 15 T
ransition of the number of damaged rail welds
Transition
Transverse
fissure at base
17%
5. Conclusions
Arc-strike
Solder
crack
Transverse
fissure at head
25%
Flat-spot
Blow Trimming
crack
Horizontal
fissure
50%
Transverse
fissure at web
8%
Fig. 14 Forms and causes of damaged flash butt welds
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References
1) Tatsumi, M., Ueyama, K., Yamamoto, R. and Kudou,
S.:"Ultrasonic Inspection for Serious Defects on Fusion Welds of Rail (in Japanese)," RTRI Report, Vol.9,
No.12, pp.43 48, 1995.
2) Tatsumi, M., Shitara, H., Fukada, Y., Sakashita, T.,
Yamamoto, R. and Ueyama, K.:"Criteria of Soundness Evaluation on Enclosed Arc Welds of Rails (in
Japanese)," RTRI Report, Vol.14, No.4, pp.37 42,
2000.
3) Ya m a m o t o , R . , F u k a d a , Y. , U e y a m a , K . a n d
Oishibashi, H.:"Gas Pressure Welding Method for
steel Reinforcing Bars, " Welding Journal, Vol.77,
No.5, pp.188 192, 1998.
4) Tatsumi, M., Fukada, Y., Ueyama, K. and Yamamoto,
R.:"Improvement of Gas Pressure Welding for Rail (in
Japanese)," RTRI Report, Vol.13, No.5, pp.27 32,
1999.