Assessing the Structural Performance of Bolted Rail Joints Employing Various Fishplate Models via Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

In railway tracks, fishplates are attached to each side of two rail ends and secured with four bolts, providing what is known as a bolted rail joint (BRJ). This rail joint is involved in complex interactions between multiple components under wheel loads, leading to stress and deformation of each component, potentially resulting in failures of the railway track. In this study, the different roles of selected fishplate models in the structural performance of a BRJ under static load are investigated using finite element analysis with ABAQUS CAE. Three fishplate models are examined: a thin cross-section, a thick cross-section, and a modified design. The first two models are currently used in rail transportation, while the novel modified version is designed to enhance the structural performance of BRJs. Preliminary results indicate that using the modified fishplate significantly reduces stress on the upper rail fillet and fishplate. Additionally, vertical displacement in both the rail and fishplate is diminished. These improvements are expected to increase the service life and reliability of BRJs, thereby contributing to safer and more cost-effective railway operations.

Keywords

bolted rail joint fishplates finite element analysis von Mises stress vertical displacement

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Wen

Jin

Zhang

Contact-Impact Stress Analysis of Rail Joint Region Using the Dynamic Finite Element Method. Wear, Vol. 258, 2005, pp. 1301–1309.

Gibert-Serra

Berry

Diaz

Jordan

Nejikovsky

Tajaddini

A Machine Vision System for Automated Joint Bar Inspection from a Moving Rail Vehicle. Proc., ASME/IEEE Joint Rail Conference & Internal Combustion Engine Spring Technical Conference, Pueblo, Colorado, March 13–16, 2007, JRCICE2007.

Federal Railroad Administration. Track Inspector Rail Defect Reference Manual. Washington, D.C., 2015. https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/track-inspector-rail-defect-reference-manual

Talamini

Jeong

D. Y.

Gordon

Estimation of the Fatigue Life of Railroad Joint Bars. Proc., ASME/IEEE Joint Rail Conference & Internal Combustion Engine Spring Technical Conference, Pueblo, Colorado, March 13–16, 2007, JRCICE2007.

Akhtar

Davis

Maal

Gordon

Jeong

D. Y.

Effects of Track Parameters on Rail Joint Bar Stresses and Crack Growth. Proc., AREMA 2010 Annual Conference and Exposition, Orlando, FL, 2011.

Guta

Tilahun

Stress Analysis of Rail Joint Under Wheel Load. International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 3, 2016, pp. 526–542.

Piyush Gupta

Stress Analysis of Bolted Rail Joint Using Finite Element Analysis. International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, Vol. 2, 2017, pp. 38–46.

Wondimu

Alemu

Regassa

Modelling and Simulation of Rail end Bolt Hole and Bolted Rail Joint by FEM. International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 6, 2019, pp. 175–186.

Gardie

Dubale

Tefera

Bezzie

Y. M.

Amsalu

Numerical Analysis of Rail Joint in a Vertical Applied Load and Determining the Possible Location of Joints. Forces in Mechanics, Vol. 6, 2022, pp. 1–9.

10.

Wondimu

Alemu

Sivaprakasam

Study on Effect of Dynamic Load on Rail Joint Bar by Finite Element Method (FEM). Advances in Materials and Processing Technologies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2022, pp. 1121–1134.

11.

Zhu

Edwards

J. R.

Qian

Andrawes

Finite Element Analysis of the Effects of Bolt Condition on Bolted Rail Joint Stresses. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2016. 2545: 36–45.

12.

Samantaray

S. K.

Mittal

S. K.

Mahapatra

Kumar

Assessing the Flexion Behavior of Bolted Rail Joints Using Finite Element Analysis. Engineering Failure Analysis, Vol. 104, 2019, pp. 1002–1013.

13.

Mandal

N. K.

Stress Analysis of Joint Bars of Insulated Rail Joints Due to Wheel/Rail Contact Loadings. Proc., 11th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, Delft, Netherlands, September 24–27, 2018.

14.

Mandal

N. K.

Peach

An Engineering Analysis of Insulated Rail Joints: A General Perspective. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, Vol. 2, 2010, pp. 3964–3988.

15.

Igwemezie

J. O.

Nyguyen

A. T.

Anatomy of Railway Joint Bar Failures Phase-III “A new Joint System with Significantly Lowered Stress State”. ARRT Inc., Brampton, ON, Canada, 2010, pp. 1–14.

16.

Sheikh

Sirsat

P. M.

Mahalle

N. K.

Fatigue Life Analysis of Joint Bar of Insulated Rail Joint. International Journal Advanced Research Publications, Vol. 1, 2017, pp. 158–164.

17.

Carolan

M. E.

Jeong

D. Y.

Perlman

A. B.

Engineering Studies on Joint Bar Integrity, Part II: Finite Element Analyses. Proc., Joint Rail Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, April 2–4, 2014, JRC2014-3708.

18.

Qian

Dersch

M. S.

Edwards

J. R.

Quirós-Orozco

R. J.

Effect of Easement Geometry on Rail end Fillet Stress at Bolted Rail Joints for Transit Track. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, Vol. 235, 2020, pp. 906–913.

19.

Zhu

Qian

Edwards

J. R.

Andrawes

B. O.

Finite Element Analysis of Rail-End Bolt Hole and Fillet Stress on Bolted Rail Joints. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2017. 2607: 33–42.

20.

S. K.

Wongsa-Ngam

Influence of Rail-End Bolt Hole Position and Clearance on Stress and Displacement of Rail Using Finite Element Analysis. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems, Vol. 1, 2024, pp. 2312–2318.

21.

Sukhom

Jangchud

Pimsarn

Charoensuk

Treeporncharoen

Design of Natural-Rubber Panel Railroad Crossing Using Finite Element Method. Proc., MATEC Web of Conferences, ICEAST 2018, Phuket, Thailand, Vol. 192, 2018.

22.

Evtukh

Neklyudova

G. A.

Distributing Contact Pressure and Stresses in the Rail Joint Zone During the Railroad Track Assembly. Proc., 8th International Conference on Industry Engineering, Sochi, Russia, August 16, 2022.

23.

American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). Rail. Manual for railway engineering. AREMA, Lanham, MD, 2005.

24.

Mandal

N. K.

Dhanasekar

Sub-Modelling for Ratchetting Failure of Insulated Rail Joints. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 75, 2013, pp. 110–122.

25.

Mandal

N. K.

On the Low Cycle Fatigue Failure of Insulated Rail Joints (IRJs). Engineering Failure Analysis, Vol. 40, 2014, pp. 58–74.

26.

Mandal

N. K.

Ratchetting Damage of Railhead Material of Gapped Rail Joints with Reference to Free Rail End Effects. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, Vol. 231, No. 2, 2017, pp. 211–225.

27.

S. K.

Wongsa-Ngam

Stress Analysis in Upper Fillet and Rail-End Bolt Hole at Rail Joint. Proc., 11th International Conference on Mechanical Engineering (TSME-ICOME2020), Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, IOP Publishing, 2021, pp. 1–7.

28.

Kataoka

Abe

Wakatsuki

Evaluation of Stresses Around Fish Bolt Holes of Jointed Rails. Proc., 7th International Heavy Haul Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 2001.

29.

Kataoka

Abe

Wakatsuki

Evaluation of Service Life of Jointed Rails. Quarterly Report of RTRI, Vol. 43, 2002, pp. 101–106.

30.

Zerbst

Lundén

Edel

K. O.

Smith

R. A.

Introduction to the Damage Tolerance Behaviour of Railway Rails – A Review. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 76, 2009, pp. 2563–2601.

31.

Gallou

Frost

El-Hamalawi

Hardwick

Assessing the Deflection Behaviour of Mechanical and Insulated Rail Joints Using Finite Element Analysis. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, Vol. 232, 2019, pp. 2290–2308.