• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.11-16
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• 2004

In this study, to investigate the effects of omitting low-amplitude cycles from a flight-simulation loading, crack growth tests were conducted on 2124-T851 aluminum alloy specimens. Three test spectra were generated by omitting small load ranges as counted by the rain-flow count method. The crack growth test results were compared with the data obtained from the flight-simulation loading. The experimental results show that the ranges equal to or smaller than 5% of the maximum load do not contribute to crack growth behavior because these are below the initial stress intensity factor range. Omitting these from the flight-simulation loading, test time can be reduced by 54%. However, in the case of omitting the load ranges below 15% of the maximum load, crack growth rates decreased, and crack growth curve deviated from the crack growth data under the flight-simulation loading because loading cycles above fatigue fracture toughness were omitted.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.317-325
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• 2008

As a result of recent research, it is reported that the periodic replacements criterion of rails is able to extend as grinding rail surface and using the continuous welded rail (CWR). This study evaluated correlation between conditions of track and load capacity of rail by analysing the dynamic response of track while the metro train is running. Also, it was converted the measured stress waveform into stress frequency histogram by the rain-flow counting methods, and then accumulated fatigue damage ratio and remaining service life of laid rail were calculated so as the apply the equivalence of stress to S-N curve of a new welded rail. Finally, this study suggests a revision of the periodic replacements criterion of CWR, which was based on accumulated passing tonnage, classified by the types and conditions of track system.