Finite Element Analysis of a Fishplate Rail Joint in Extreme Environment Condition
Sunil Kumar Sharma, Jaesun Lee
Abstract
Railways are very efficient mode of transportation. Speed limits of the railways and loads they carry are increasing rapidly. Due to some advantages, the insulated rail joints are still the part of a rail-track system. However, a high rate of failure of joints puts the railway track at risk. Therefore, a detailed study of these joints is required. In this paper, a three-dimensional finite element model of rail-fishplate joint is created using Abaqus - a finite element method-based software. Stresses in fishplate and bolts due to wheel impact are analysed by coupling implicit and explicit methods. It is found that bolts are a critical part of a joint due to stresses and vibrations to which they are subjected. The large number of stresses and vibration can result into loosening of bolts.