Plastic Ratcheting and Fatigue Damage of High Strength Rails in Heavy Haul Railways

Ensuring the safe operation of railway infrastructure is critical for the efficient transportation of mineral products in Australia, simultaneously reducing losses in human and material resources. Plastic ratcheting significantly contributes to the rolling contact fatigues in rails. This thesis examined the plastic ratcheting behaviour of high-strength rail steels employed in Australian heavy haul railway systems and evaluated their resistance to the initiation of ratcheting mechanism-driven damages, such as rolling contact fatigue crack and wear.